The Wooing of Lydia Deetz
by Velvet Storm
Summary: A year after Lydia graduates high school, Beetlejuice shows back up in Winter River with a legal contract from the Netherworld. Lydia has a month to comply. Oh yeah...and saying his name three times doesn't work anymore.
1. Chapter 1

Lydia Deetz finally felt normal.

Well, if one considered living with ghosts normal, that is. And she did.

Her entire life – the nineteen years that she'd lived so far, anyway – had not been "normal" by any means. She barely remembered her mother; she'd died one night in her sleep when Lydia was just six years old. Doctors were never able to determine the cause.

Charles, her father, had raised her alone for a couple of years until he met Delia at the local cultural center. Lydia had gone on a field trip with her school, and Delia had been teaching a sculpting class there. Both Charles and Delia discovered that they had eclectic tastes in art and started dating fairly quickly after meeting.

Lydia hadn't been particularly impressed with Delia, but she'd only been ten years old when her father remarried. At the time, Lydia had just started wearing all black clothes and spent hours in her room alone, so she didn't pay her step-mother much attention.

When Lydia reached puberty, she was still wearing black, and her thoughts seemed to have caught up with the color of her clothes. She wrote fairly dark poetry – even tried a couple of stories – but her real fascination was photography. She liked to pick flowers and put them by things that had died – bugs, rats, whatever she could find – and shoot them in black and white film. While she didn't understand death, she'd always thought that it was a transition, and to her, that's what she tried to show in her photos – that there was a kind of beauty in the transition.

Then her father moved them to Connecticut. Lydia hadn't cared all that much – she didn't really have any friends – and Delia was too self-absorbed to care; as long as she could paint, sculpt and (try to) impress people, she was happy.

Discovering the Maitlands in the house hadn't fazed Lydia. In a way, their existence and presence felt natural, and she'd been comfortable with them from the moment she'd discovered them under those silly sheets. She'd enjoyed getting to know them over the last few years. They were simple, unassuming people, and they genuinely cared for her. Lydia cared about them, too.

And then _he_ happened. Sometimes it all seemed like a bad dream, all the twisted magic that he'd used against everyone in his selfish pursuit for freedom. It had taken a number of months for all of the damage that he'd caused to be repaired, both physically and emotionally. Almost five years had passed since then, and she tried to put the memories out of her mind. It was done, and he was gone.

It was over.

After Lydia had graduated high school, she'd started working for Mr. Sheppard at the small camera shop in town. He was an elderly gentleman with kind blue eyes and a quick wit who loved to tell stories about growing up in Boston in the early nineteen hundreds, and Lydia loved listening to him.

She wasn't sure about college yet, and while Delia tried to get her interested in an art school, her father told her not to make a decision until she was ready. So she developed pictures twenty hours a week and was perfectly happy with it.

Barbara was Lydia's best friend. They'd spent hours talking and getting to know each other. She'd learned that the lady ghost had lost her mom when she was in her teens, and it had prompted her to want a family early on. Sadly, she'd been unable to conceive, and she and Adam hadn't had a chance to get any testing done before they died, though they'd talked about it. Unlike Delia, Barbara listened to Lydia and tried to understand how she felt about things. The lady ghost never judged her – she was always very supportive; Adam, too. They were both as sweet as could be.

The two couples had separate living areas in the house, but everyone helped with household chores. The Maitlands even cooked sometimes, though they didn't usually eat since they didn't have to. The Deetz's loved Barbara's green bean casserole and homemade meatloaf; Charles would often sneak into the kitchen after midnight to have leftovers. A couple weeks ago on Christmas Eve, all three ladies had even baked goodies together and had had a lot of fun.

In an odd way, it was the kind of home that Lydia had always wanted.

* * *

"These are just beautiful," Barbara complimented, looking through a handful of photos. "I miss going out in the snow."

"I took those last week. Everything was so white…so pure. It was perfection just for a moment."

"May I keep these?"

"I printed them just for you."

When Barbara grinned, her eyes lit up. "Thank you. I appreciate that." She noticed Lydia yawn and added, "Stay up too late again writing?"

Lydia shook her head. She had been known to stay up for hours working on a chapter when an idea struck her because she knew she wouldn't remember it the next morning. "I had another one of _those_ dreams, and I guess I didn't want to go back to sleep."

"The – uh – _beetle_ one?"

No one said _his_ name anymore, understandably.

"Yeah, that one."

"Why didn't you come get me?" Barbara asked, her voice full of concern as she reached for Lydia's hand in a gesture of comfort. "You know Adam and I don't have to sleep. We just do it to stay on the same schedule that the rest of you guys are on."

Lydia shrugged and looked across the room at Adam's model of the town; he'd just finished updating the police station last week thanks to the photos that she'd taken for him. "I don't know."

For the past number of months, Lydia had been having dreams about Beetlejuice. What made them the most disturbing was that he was always _nice_. He still looked the same with his dirty, striped clothes, wild hair and questionable skin growths, but in the dreams, it was as if they were dating or at least interested in each other. The reason why it disturbed her was because in the dream she sort of liked it. And she had _no_ idea why.

As if reading her mind, Barbara suggested, "You know, maybe you should try going out with that Isaac guy again; get your subconscious on someone else."

Lydia smirked and shared a knowing look with the lady ghost. She'd met Isaac at work one day a few weeks ago. He was twenty-one and had recently moved to the countryside to focus on his second horror novel. His first had been published earlier that year and was doing very well. He was also a photographer, so he and Lydia had talked quite a bit about that. Eventually, they'd gone out for lunch and had had a good time. While he was fairly easy to talk to, she felt like something was missing but had no idea what.

"Maybe," was all she said.

* * *

When spring arrived with warm sunshine and brightly colored flowers, Lydia found herself drawn to the river on numerous occasions. She loved the gentle gurgling of the water as it flowed over the rocks, and it brought her a tranquility that she didn't find elsewhere. Maybe that was the attraction; it brought her peace when little else did.

Lydia had been out with Isaac a few times. He looked like a young Barnabas Collins with shoulder length hair, which appealed to her since that was one of her favorite shows. She always had a fun time with him, but she was still guarded. There was no way to tell him about the ghosts living in her house – and certainly not the other incidents that had happened – without him wanting to have her committed. Barbara had read Isaac's first book (she'd asked Lydia to get it for her), and she'd told Lydia that she might be surprised about his beliefs if his writing was any indication. Lydia still wasn't sure, though. Trusting him with her secrets – especially _those_ secrets – was a pretty big deal.

* * *

Towards the end of June, Lydia left work and walked straight to the river as she often did. It was nearly seven, and there was a gentle breeze in the air. She headed for her favorite spot near the edge of the woods.

After sitting down in the grass, Lydia breathed deeply and hugged her knees to her chest. There was no reason to go home yet; she was meeting Isaac back at the camera shop at eight. Sometimes they developed photos together after hours; Mr. Sheppard never minded. Isaac had been taking mostly architecture lately, and he had a great eye. They'd talked about shooting together sometime. She liked that idea; she'd never done it before.

As she looked at the beautiful, towering trees around her, Lydia noticed a big clump of moss to her right. She didn't remember it being there when she sat down. Looking past it, she saw another and then another past that one.

Curious, Lydia got up to investigate. She knew the area well – it's where she always sat – and there was never a line of moss clumps there. She wasn't even sure that the trees in the area grew that kind of moss. She followed them into the edge of the forest behind her, noticing that there were more and more as she went along. She looked around – the small wooded area wasn't very dense – but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She did notice that it seemed quieter than it should be, but twilight was closing in, and the woods always stilled then. With a shrug, she turned to walk back out to her spot by the river.

"Hey babinsky."

With a startled shriek, Lydia stumbled backwards over a root and fell, landing on her backside in a most ungraceful manner. "Where are you?" she cried out, instantly recognizing _his_ voice. "Show yourself!"

When he stepped out from behind a nearby tree, Lydia gasped loudly and clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and frantic. Her heart thundered in her ears like the hooves of wild horses galloping across a prairie, and while every muscle screamed to move, she did not.

Beetlejuice looked just like he did in her dreams. He wore his black and white striped suit with a white shirt, black tie and black boots, but everything was filthy. His ashen-colored face with raccoon eyes still had strange lichen-like growths on it, and his moss-colored hair was still unkempt and frizzy. Her nose wrinkled in disgust – the clumps that she'd followed looked just like his hair. They weren't were they? She hoped not.

Beetlejuice took her shocked reaction as a compliment. "I am lookin' pretty fetchin' these days, aren't I?" he asked, checking himself out as best he could.

Lydia shook her head, her hand finally falling away from her mouth. "You…how…you were gone…I –"

"Yeah…there's a slight issue with that."

Lydia continued to stare at him as she stood and brushed herself off. "I don't understand. Issue with what?"

Beetlejuice lit up a cigarette using the tip of his left forefinger as a lighter and took a long puff before blowing the smoke into the air above his head.

"Well, babe, it seems that I'm stuck, and you are the only one that can fix it."

"Me? What could I possibly fix?" Lydia still couldn't believe that he was standing in front of her – and _without_ being summoned. That had to be a bad sign if there ever was one.

"You see," he began, taking another long puff and exhaling the white, swirly smoke as he stepped towards her, twigs snapping under his dingy boots. "Apparently, you releasin' me _and_ me almost marryin' you has me stuck in limbo as far as gettin' out."

"So?"

When he grinned, Lydia felt like a wounded gazelle under the hungry gaze of a lion and crossed her arms protectively as she took a step back.

"For me to be released, our marriage has to be consummated," he told her with a sly wink and lascivious lick of his lips.

Lydia's eyes enlarged as her jaw dropped in shock. " _What?_ "

Beetlejuice held up his hands in front of him defensively. "Hey – I'm just the messenger here."

"There is no marriage!" Lydia exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing. "It was stopped before it was completed!"

"Ah ah," he said, wagging a pale finger topped with a black nail at her before taking another drag off his cigarette. "The other side says that there was enough of the ceremony completed for them to consider it bindin' which means I'm halfway to bein' free. So you gotta help me out here."

"You're lying! There's no way any of that is true!" Lydia was afraid that her lunch was about to come up.

Calmly, Beetlejuice flicked away the cigarette butt and then reached into his pocket for a folded up document which he handed to her.

"I think you'll find that it's completely legit."

Lydia snatched it from him and then quickly stepped away again, trying her best to read it, but it was all legal mumbo jumbo which she didn't understand. Plus, it was impossible for her to concentrate.

"And just what kind of consummation are they supposedly requiring?" she snapped, one hand on her hip.

Beetlejuice took a couple steps closer so that he was standing right in front of her. "Why, the only kind that counts, my dear Lydia," he purred, lowering his voice as his crazy eyes gleamed at her. "Us nekkid in the sheets doing the horizontal mambo."

He wiggled his hips around as if he was dancing, but when he reached out to touch her, Lydia backed away from him, furiously shaking her head. "Don't you dare touch me! There's no way that I'd do that with you! This is just another one of your tricks! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Beetlejuice grinned again, making no effort to hide his lust as he boldly looked her up and down.

"You have a month to comply, babe," he told her, before turning and walking away, whistling something that sounded like a funeral dirge.

Lydia did the only thing that her desperate, frantic brain could think of. " _Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice_!"

The bio-exorcist chuckled. "By the way, that name thing? Yeah…doesn't work anymore." Then he disappeared behind a tree.

Lydia ran all the way home and forgot all about meeting Isaac.

* * *

"It can't be true!" Lydia wailed as Barbara hugged her tight where they stood in the attic. "It just can't be!"

Adam was reading over the document that Beetlejuice had given Lydia, but it was written like the handbook, so he was having a difficult time understanding the verbiage.

"Can you make heads or tails out of it?" Barbara asked, worry etched all over her face as she kept an arm around Lydia.

"Not really," he said, walking over to them with the papers. "I think Juno will need to be involved with something like this, anyway."

"What am I going to do?" Lydia cried, wiping tears and smearing her black eyeliner. "I can't sleep with him! I can't be married to him! This just…it can't be happening!"

"Don't go by the river for the next few days," Adam told her, folding up the document and putting it in his pocket. "We'll figure this out. There's no way that this can be legal."

Barbara grabbed the chalk and started drawing a door on the brick wall. "Be careful when you go to work. We'll be back just as soon as possible."

As the layers of brick turned into a door and opened with a gravelly rumble, Lydia watched them run into the green light and wondered what her future would hold. She knew time was different over there; what if they didn't get back in time? He couldn't force her, could he? No, she refused to believe that the other side would encourage _that_. He had to have misunderstood – he was famous for it – or just outright lied and made up the entire thing to rattle her. Yes. That had to be it.

Lydia tried to calm down, but her heart was pounding inside her chest so hard that it was giving her a headache. Perhaps it was time to go sneak some alcohol. Thanks to Delia, there was always plenty in the house.

* * *

When the Maitlands arrived at the Netherworld office, they demanded to speak with Juno right away. The secretary at the window tried to tell them that they had to wait, but the couple was having none of it this time. It was only a few minutes until they were taken to her.

"What's the big idea barging in here like that?" Juno barked at the couple, her bony fingers clutching a cigarette as she waved her hand around in frustration. "You're supposed to wait your turn just like everybody else!"

"This is the big idea!" Adam exclaimed, shoving the papers that Lydia had given him into the caseworker's spindly hand. "Beetle – "

" _Shh!_ " Juno warned.

"That doesn't affect him anymore, Juno!" Adam exclaimed, eyes wide and nostrils flaring. "He approached Lydia, gave her this paperwork and told her that she had a month to comply. It's about consummating a marriage that never existed!"

Juno took the papers and looked them over while Adam and Barbara sat down. They exchanged worried glances while they waited.

After another couple minutes of unnerving silence, Barbara finally said, "Well?"

Juno looked up and took a long drag from her cigarette, exhaling through the opening in her neck. "Good news, bad news," she began. "Bad news is it's a binding contract."

"What?" Adam shrieked as he stood. "There's no way that – "

"Would you shut up and sit down?" Juno snapped, the wrinkles between her eyebrows becoming even more prominent. "The good news is that he has to do his part, as well."

"Could you explain the whole thing in plain English please?" Barbara asked with a slow shake of her head. "We're very confused."

Juno exhaled more smoke from her neck and then tapped the end of cigarette on an ashtray a couple times. "When Lydia spoke his name to call him forth in her attempt to rescue you, it showed good faith on her part," she explained. "And because the ceremony went as far as it did, our laws state that he does have recourse to legally request completion of the marriage which is the consummation."

"You said there was good news," Adam reminded her, grinding his teeth together and making his jaw muscles twitch as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "What could possibly be good?"

"He must woo her in earnest in order to win her affections," Juno continued. "Any kind of force or coercion on his part will bind him to the land of the sandworms for fifty years. In turn, Lydia may not ignore him – she must allow him full opportunity."

The Maitlands were not happy about any of this information and exchanged looks of disbelief. Adam ran a hand through his hair as he slouched in his seat while Barbara balanced her elbows on her knees and then covered her face with her hands.

"And what if she doesn't?" Adam asked wearily.

Juno looked at them gravely, the corners of her wrinkled mouth turned down with her steely eyes devoid of emotion. "I don't think you want me to answer that."

"What about some sort of an appeal?" Barbara asked, hope briefly shining in her coffee-colored eyes. "Can Lydia file anything against this?"

Juno shook her head slowly. "No."

"Okay…if your laws consider them essentially married already, then what about an annulment?" Adam asked, racking his brain to think of anything that might help.

Juno shook her head again. "The marriage is in limbo. Until a consummation takes place, the marriage is not completed, and until it's completed, he doesn't have his freedom which is what he's after. Once it is completed, then an application for annulment can be filed."

"Are you telling us that she basically _has_ to be with him regardless?" Barbara asked, sitting on the edge of her chair. "That's taking away her choice. We have a term for that, Juno."

The crabby caseworker sighed and rolled her eyes as she put out her cigarette. "Don't you two listen? If he doesn't successfully woo Lydia after she gives him sincere opportunity to do so, the contract becomes null and void. She retains her choice, and he remains trapped."

The Maitlands looked at each other again, still not happy with what they were hearing.

"This is crazy," Adam spat, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "I mean…it makes no sense whatsoever. And why doesn't saying his name work anymore, anyway?"

Juno reached for her pack of cigarettes, taking one out and lighting it. "No one said that dealing with the dead was easy. Once you cross over, laws change. And apparently saying his name doesn't work anymore because he's in this legal-limbo. Now I suggest you get back and talk with Lydia so the process can begin. She's already lost four days."

* * *

"So what did she say?" Lydia asked when the Maitlands returned. She'd been spending every minute that she could in the attic waiting for them, and she hadn't slept much in the last couple days. "Please tell me there's a way out. Please tell me this is just one of his schemes."

Lydia knew by the long faces of her friends that she wasn't going to like their answers. "Well, there's good news and bad news. The bad news is that the contract is legal," Barbara explained as Lydia's eyes enlarged in disbelief. "But, the good news is that he left out an important part of the document."

"What?"

"He can in no way force or manipulate you," Adam told her. "He has to truly woo you so that it is completely your choice."

Lydia crossed her arms, jutting her chin out defiantly. "Then I'll just ignore him."

"Um…you have to give him sincere opportunity," Barbara added with a grimace and apologetic eyes. "You can't ignore him."

Lydia sighed, her arms falling to the sides of her body in defeat. She didn't like the sound of any of this. "So what happens if he doesn't 'woo' me or whatever?"

"The document is void then, and he remains trapped," Adam answered.

"And saying his name doesn't work now because…"

"Because of him being in limbo," Barbara answered with a shrug. "I don't get it, either."

"I can't believe that I'm even acknowledging that this could be a possibility, but if we actually did – you know – wouldn't that make us married for real?"

"You'd be able to file for an annulment then," Barbara explained, putting her arm around Lydia to try to comfort her. "Juno even gave us paperwork, just in case."

Lydia shook her head and looked back and forth between the ghosts. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. Why her? Why couldn't he leave her alone? "This is insane."

"That's what we said," Adam agreed.

"At least I'm not being forced, though. I was concerned about that. I guess I could – um – give him a chance. Sort of. Anything to make this go away."

"And not that I want to encourage this in any way, but the clock is ticking," Barbara reminded her. "The sooner you get started, the sooner this mess can be over."

"Thanks for trying, guys," Lydia told them, forcing a small smile. "I really appreciate it. I think I'm going to head to the river and have a chat with him."

* * *

The closer Lydia got to the woods, the better she began to feel. If Beetlejuice had to sincerely "woo" her ( _does anyone seriously use that term anymore,_ she wondered), then she was home free. She'd have to tolerate his ridiculous attempts to get her attention for a month, but she knew without a doubt that Beetlejuice would never, ever be successful.

For the first time in almost a week, Lydia genuinely smiled.

* * *

 _ **Perhaps there are a hundred stories about their 'almost' wedding, so this will be one hundred and one. lol It will only be a few chapters, so nothing too elaborate. But I've been wanting to play with these two for a while now. Hope you enjoy.**_


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm here," Lydia called out when she stopped by after work the next day. "Where are you?"

"Right here," Beetlejuice replied, stepping out from the same tree as usual. "I – uh – have this for ya."

He handed her a large match box. When she slid it open, she shrieked.

"Eww – worms! Gross!"

He looked offended, furrowing his eyebrows and frowning. "Hey – I dug them from the ground myself early this morning. That's when they taste best."

"I don't eat worms," she said, shaking her head and giving him the box back.

"You don't?"

"No. I eat regular food."

Beetlejuice sighed.

* * *

The next day, Lydia met him in the same spot around the same time.

"How about this?" Beetlejuice asked, shoving a brown paper bag into her hand.

When she opened it and looked inside, she saw a skull. She pulled it out and asked, "What did this come from?"

"It's from a flying fur bat. It's one of the biggest in the world."

Holding it up to check out the nooks and crannies, she asked, "You didn't kill it, did you?"

Beetlejuice rolled his eyes. "Do I look like I know how to clean skulls?"

"Hmm. Probably not," Lydia concluded, looking over the skull some more. "This is pretty cool. Thank you."

He grinned and reached for her arm. "Good. Let's go get a room."

"Um…no," she said, pulling away from him. "While the skull is neat, I'm still not interested in doing anything with you."

Beetlejuice sighed.

* * *

The next day, Beetlejuice gave Lydia a live black rain frog.

"And he puffs up when he's defensive like a cranky little balloon," he told her, looking quite pleased with himself.

Lydia had no idea what to do with a live frog. "Um…thank you, but I think you're on the wrong path."

Beetlejuice was visibly frustrated, extending his arms out towards her. "Could ya help a ghost out a little then, huh? Give me some direction maybe?"

Lydia hadn't had any boyfriends; she didn't really know what to tell him.

"I'm not sure I mean…I think it's supposed to be more than gifts. Maybe romantic type stuff. Flowers, music, picnics…things like that."

Beetlejuice snorted, turning up his nose as he crossed his arms. "Seriously?"

Lydia shrugged. "It's what they do in movies."

Beetlejuice sighed.

* * *

Lydia had been spending more time with Isaac, and she really liked him. He was funny, smart and had a dark side like her. They'd talked a great deal so when he invited her to his place, she didn't hesitate.

Isaac fixed a candlelight dinner for them, which was delicious, and when they sat on his couch afterwards, Lydia didn't stop him when he put his arm around her and kissed her. It was her first, and she'd enjoyed it very much.

She'd floated all the way home after she'd left his house and had fallen asleep with a smile on her face. She'd had a normal night with a normal guy. It had been perfect.

* * *

Lydia told Beetlejuice about Isaac when he asked where she'd rushed off to the other night.

"He doesn't understand you."

"What? Of course he does. We've known each other for a few months now and have been spending a lot of time together. He writes horror stories, you know."

Beetlejuice leaned back against the tree trunk with his knees bent and arms resting on the top of them. "He may write them, but he hasn't lived them. You have."

Lydia furrowed her eyebrows where she sat beside him. "What do you mean 'lived them'?"

"Well…you have a stepmom, so I'm guessin' that your real mom is deadinsky, am I right?"

She picked at the grass where she sat. She never talked about her mom. "You don't have to be callous about it, but yes. She died when I was six."

"Has he lost a parent?"

"No."

"Has he ever thought about suicide?"

Lydia shrugged, glancing over at the ghost. "I don't know."

"You have."

"So?"

"So you've lived in darkness. Why do you think you wear black all the time?"

Lydia looked at her clothes and then back at him. "I happen to like black."

Beetlejuice nodded. "Because it reminds you of darkness where you're most comfortable."

Lydia wanted to argue with him but could not. She _was_ most comfortable in darkness – she always had been. Even when she was little, she'd preferred the dark.

"What do you know about darkness, anyway?" she retorted defensively.

He gave her a knowing look and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing his ankles. "I lost my mom when I was ten. Her ghost haunted our house, and I talked to her all the time."

"Really?" Lydia knew nothing about Beetlejuice's past. She hadn't dreamed that they'd actually have anything in common.

"Yep. And when I was twelve, I almost died because I tried to commit suicide so that I could be with her."

Lydia's eyes grew big. She hadn't expected to hear that at all. "What happened?"

Beetlejuice paused for a moment as if contemplating answering, glancing out into the forest before looking back at her.

"I jumped off a bridge."

Lydia gasped, remembering the letter that she'd written years ago saying that she was going to do the same.

"I didn't know."

"Yeah. So like I said, he hasn't lived it like we have."

When Lydia looked at Beetlejuice, their eyes met in understanding, and it caught her off guard. It was the first time that she'd seen him without some sort of mask on. There was sincerity in his eyes. It was…nice.

"You know, you should drop the whole 'bio exorcist freak show' charade and just talk more often. You're much less offensive. Almost tolerable even."

Beetlejuice smirked.

* * *

The next time they met, Beetlejuice gave Lydia some black roses.

"Wow, these are gorgeous. Thank you."

He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Figured you'd dig the color."

Despite her best efforts to _not_ enjoy being around him, she laughed. He could be funny when he wanted to be.

"That I do."

They stood quietly for a couple minutes until he asked, "So…why are you still here, anyway?"

Lydia huffed. "I have to be, thanks to your silly contract."

Beetlejuice shook his head. "No, I mean here in this dried up poke town. Why aren't you in school or somethin'? Isn't that what everyone does these days?"

She shrugged. "I thought about it. I'm just not ready to leave, I guess."

"What are you scared of?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not scared."

He snorted. "Of course you are. Even a ghost like me can see that."

Lydia bit her lip before asking, "Okay smarty pants, what am I scared of then?"

Beetlejuice stared at her intensely, his eyes roaming over her body. It made her shift her feet where she stood as she could swear she felt the heat of his gaze through her clothes.

"You've always been the outsider. You've always been different. People have teased you – made comments behind your back. You're afraid to leave your comfort zone, and you're afraid of failin'."

She jutted her chin out and crossed her arms protectively. "Lots of people feel like that."

"Maybe. But it paralyzes you. You act like it doesn't bother you, but it does."

Lydia wasn't sure what to say. He was right – she'd spent hours crying in her room wondering why she couldn't be like everyone else, but no matter how hard she tried to be, she just ended up more different.

"And what makes you Mr. Psychology?"

"I've always had a knack for readin' people," he told her, giving her a salacious wink. "Especially in Braille."

When Beetlejuice playfully reached for her, Lydia smacked his hand away and laughed.

* * *

"I dare you to tell him then!"

"Don't dare me – we're not children!"

Beetlejuice and Lydia were arguing about Isaac. She didn't tell the ghost, but she was really falling for the young man, and she'd mentioned that she felt like he'd be open to hearing about the Maitlands. She wasn't sure when she'd first met him, but after all of their chats, she was fairly certain now that he wouldn't run away screaming.

"I'm tellin' ya – he's not gonna handle the news well about you livin' with ghosts much less all of my specialty performances."

"And I think he will!" Lydia shouted, stomping away from the annoying ghost, determined to prove him wrong. Isaac would have to believe in and accept the Maitlands if they were going to continue seeing each other. They were her family.

* * *

The next night, sometime after ten in the evening, Lydia ran out to the woods.

"Where are you?"

All she could hear was tree frogs as she stood in the damp night air.

"Come out right now or – "

"Or what?"

With tears streaming down her face, Lydia yelled, "You're an ass, you know that? An absolute ass!"

"And what, pray tell, did I do this time? I haven't even seen you all day."

"He laughed!" Lydia cried, stepping closer to him. Even though it was a full moon, he was still hard to see. "He actually laughed when I told him!"

When she began to beat on his chest in frustration, Beetlejuice grabbed her wrists in defense. Overcome with a dangerous mix of sadness and anger, she crashed against him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"How could he laugh?" she sobbed, allowing her tears freedom to fall, his dirty shirt soaking them up immediately.

Beetlejuice was in no way prepared for her behavior. He awkwardly put his arms around her because he couldn't do much else with her pressed against him.

"Ignorance gets my vote," he muttered, his voice deep as the darkness surrounded them.

* * *

Lydia didn't see Beetlejuice for three days after that. Isaac's reaction to her story hurt her deeply – she'd been positive after all of their conversations that he would have believed her. But instead, he'd laughed. He'd thought that she was telling him a story like the ones that he wrote.

He'd tried calling her numerous times since then – she assumed to apologize – but the damage was done. If Isaac couldn't accept that part of her life, then he couldn't be in it.

So what had she been doing for three days? She'd stayed in her room in the dark because, like _he'd_ said, she was more comfortable there. Since when did that damn ghost know her so well, anyway? He wasn't supposed to have any understanding of her. He was just supposed to be an ass. A crazy, selfish ass.

Lydia thought for the hundredth time in horror how she'd cried in his arms. What had she been thinking? She hadn't been thinking – that was the problem. In some strange way, she had to give him credit; he'd held her instead of pushing her away, at least for a couple minutes until it dawned on her just what they were doing, and then she'd bolted from him in a panic. She felt betrayed by Isaac and confused by Beetlejuice and wasn't particularly fond of either at the moment.

* * *

"You here?"

"Of course. Um…are you better now?"

Lydia shrugged. "I guess. I was really hurt."

"Told ya."

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Yeah. Not helping."

"Look – you were cryin'. I don't really do cryin' chicks."

Lydia crossed her arms. "Do you do freedom?" she threw at him.

Beetlejuice frowned and held up his hands in defense. "Hey – I'm tryin' over here," he exclaimed. "Whaddya want from me?"

"Me?" she shrieked. "I don't want anything from you. You're the one that wants something from me if you'll remember!"

"Yeah I did," he said, running his hands through his unkempt hair in frustration and shaking his head. "I didn't think it would be so hard, though."

Lydia's jaw dropped. "Oh great. So now you're saying that I'm not worth the effort? The live man didn't want me, and now the dead guy doesn't even want me? Fine!"

When she turned and started to walk away, Beetlejuice called out, "Wait a minute, princess. Since when do you care whether a dead guy wants you or not?"

Lydia turned around to face him, her emotions all over the place. "I don't know. But what hope do I have if neither world wants me?"

Beetlejuice turned towards the nearest tree and started picking at the bark. "I don't think that's fair. The live guy did want you – he just didn't understand you."

Lydia sighed and dropped her gaze. "No one does. I should be used to that."

"If you'll recall, I have a modest understandin' of you."

"Yeah, and you just said that I'm not worth the effort, so what difference does it make?"

" _You_ said that, princess. Not me. Why do you think I tried to marry you in the first place?"

"To get your freedom."

Beetlejuice rolled his eyes. "Well yeah…that, too…but…you know…you were kinda…okay lookin, too'."

"That makes me feel loads better," she muttered.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," he said, visibly flustered as he finally faced her. "You're pretty, all right? Need me to draw you a picture?"

She swallowed as she stared at him. Did he really just compliment her? "Are you lying?"

He looked her up and down and then looked away, rubbing the back of his lichen-covered neck. "Not about that," he said quietly.

"But you've lied about other stuff?"

"Of course," he said with a laugh as if she should have known.

Lydia smiled just a tiny bit.

* * *

A couple days later when Lydia met Beetlejuice, he handed her a candy bar.

Lydia looked at it and then looked at him. "A Zagnut?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "You don't eat chocolate?"

"No, I do, I just wasn't expecting a candy bar."

"I – uh – overheard a couple gals talkin' the other day and one mentioned how she wanted some guy to buy her chocolate."

"So you bought me a candy bar."

His shoulders slumped. "Do you not like that, either?"

Lydia noticed that he genuinely looked disappointed. He _had_ been trying harder than she thought he would to woo her. She was kind of impressed, actually.

"I love chocolate. Thank you."

He perked up a little.

* * *

Lydia decided to test Beetlejuice. She took a few of her photographs to show him and see what his reaction would be.

"What do you think?" she asked after he'd looked them over.

"They're morbid…they're dark…they're sad," he commented, still flipping through them. "They're perfect."

"You think so? Some people have called them gross because of the dead bugs and stuff."

He shrugged and gave her the photos back. "Hey…death is reality. These are great. Don't let any yahoo tell you otherwise."

Lydia straightened her shoulders with pride.

* * *

The next day, Beetlejuice and Lydia sat at the base of the tree again.

"Have you seen him again?"

"He came into the shop and apologized, but I haven't seen him since."

"Are you goin' to?"

Lydia sighed. "No."

"Do you still hate me?"

"Hate you?"

"Yeah."

Lydia looked at Beetlejuice and then looked away. "I don't hate you."

He chuckled. "You used to."

She shrugged and looked at him, taking in his crazy hair, the dark rings around his eyes and his pale skin. She thought to herself how his appearance didn't seem quite as repulsive to her as it once did. "Maybe a little. But look at the things you did."

"Hey, I saved your precious Maitlands _and_ your parents."

She gave him a pointed look. "You did, but perhaps there was a better way."

He grinned at her. "I do tend to be a little impetuous."

Lydia laughed. "A little? That's an understatement."

"Just part of my charm, babe."

"Keep telling yourself that."

They looked at each other and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

As Lydia headed towards the woods after work – a trip that she looked forward to now – she realized that there were only twelve days left of the month for Beetlejuice to woo her. Time was moving quicker than she thought it would. She had to admit that she was curious as to what he would come up with next.

When she saw him that first time and eventually learned the details of the contract, she swore that there was absolutely no way that she would ever consider sleeping with him. The very thought had bordered on insanity.

After the last couple of weeks with Beetlejuice, however, while she was certainly not ready to sleep with him, she _could_ honestly say that she didn't hate him. When he wasn't being a pompous jackass, he was almost decent to talk to. He was far more intelligent than she ever thought he'd be. And as much as she didn't want to admit it – and she really didn't – he did understand her. He just 'got' things about her that she didn't have to explain to him. Sometimes he even offered insight into facets of her life that she hadn't considered. Having spent most of her life feeling misunderstood, it was weirdly comforting to know that she wasn't the only one that thought like she did.

"I'm here," she stated when she reached 'their' spot.

Beetlejuice pushed off from the tree that he'd been leaning against and tossed his cigarette away, his expression uncertain as he held something in his hand. "I – uh – made somethin' for you," he told her, handing her what looked like an empty sardine can.

When Lydia took it from him and looked inside, her jaw dropped. A lizard skeleton lay on a bed of moss with two small white daisy looking flowers on either side of him. She quickly gathered herself and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Wait…you didn't kill it, did you?"

He huffed at her and crossed his arms. "Why do you always ask me that?"

She lifted an eyebrow at him.

He stuck his tongue out at her in response and dropped his arms. "I put it together for you because – I don't know – it reminded me of your little pictures."

Lydia was moved by his gesture as a tiny little flutter tickled the inside of her abdomen. He'd actually taken the time to make it for her; she never would have expected such thoughtfulness from him. And it did look like something that she would photograph. "This is really neat. Thank you."

Beetlejuice shifted his feet where he stood and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand before shoving them into his pockets. "Um…I did something else."

"What?"

"I'd have to show ya."

Lydia shrugged. "Okay fine. Show me then."

"It's not here."

"Well, where is it?"

Beetlejuice removed his hand from his pocket and held it out for her to take.

Lydia hesitated, looking at his pale palm and then up to his lichen-covered face. "Where are we going?"

He rolled his eyes at her and wiggled his hand. "Nowhere bad. What – don't ya trust me?"

Against her better judgment, Lydia reached for his hand.

She barely registered the coolness of his skin before the woods around them swirled and blurred. Within seconds, they were in a motel room. She immediately looked around, noticing the table first. It was big enough for a chair on each side and covered in a tattered, black fitted sheet, the corners naturally billowing where it hung. Two white taper candles – that looked like they'd already been used – were stuck in red plastic cups and leaning, the wax pooling on the sheet. There were no plates or silverware, but there were five take away styrofoam containers plus two cups of water.

Lydia turned towards him, not missing the trepidation that shadowed his face and the way he bit his bottom lip. "What is this?"

Beetlejuice glanced at the table and then at her.

"It's a candlelight dinner," he answered like she should have known. "Didn't I do it right?"

The fact that he'd apparently put a lot of effort into the dinner was endearing to her. She guessed that he was fairly clueless about such things – his ancient past not counting. She wasn't sure where he'd gotten everything, but she didn't really care, and she wasn't going to ask. It was the sweetest thing that anyone had ever done for her. Her stomach did a funny sort of flip flop, and her heart beat faster. She had an odd urge to hug him.

"And all of the boxes?"

"I wasn't sure what you liked." He started opening containers. "There's Chinese, pizza, some sort of fish sandwich and something called meatloaf with veggies, I think."

Lydia grinned; she liked everything that he'd chosen. "Dessert, too?"

"Ah!" His face lit up as he grabbed a small brown bag from his pocket and shook it. "Chocolate covered grasshoppers. I thought we could share those."

Surprisingly, she wasn't grossed out about the bugs but curious. She'd heard of the chocolate covered insects but had never tried one.

While it was not Lydia's idea of a normal candlelight dinner, she appreciated the effort. In fact, it was better, in a way, since it _wasn't_ normal. The last couple years, she'd been trying very hard to be more normal, but it never felt right no matter what she did. She was strange and unusual and liked weird 'not normal' things. She decided that maybe it was time to fully embrace that and stop fighting it.

"This is perfect," she complimented. "And I'm starving."

Beetlejuice straightened his shoulders and smiled proudly.

* * *

While he only picked at some of the food, Lydia dug in, eating from all of the boxes. They talked about random things while they ate like the types of photos that she'd been developing lately and the new sculptures that Delia was working on. Conversation was always so easy with him, even about mundane things.

"You should tell me more about your human life," she suggested as she munched on an egg roll. "Do you remember all of it?"

"Bits and pieces," he answered with a shrug. "Not much to tell, really. My father had been a Whig in the sixteenth century in England and had been a wealthy land owner. I told you that my mother died when I was young – her name was Elizabeth, and she was the daughter of John Wilmot."

"Wilmot. I know that name. Had quite the reputation if I remember correctly."

"He was a rake and proud of it," Beetlejuice stated simply, picking a piece of pepperoni off a slice of pizza and making a face after eating it.

"So you grew up a spoiled rich kid?"

He nodded, reaching for some lo mein noodles. "Pretty much. I had everything."

"Did you have a family? Wife and kids?"

"Hell no. I had too much fun with the lasses to just pick one."

"Then why has doing stuff for me been difficult? You had to woo them, right?"

"The women were impressed with my father's name and money," he explained, the barest hint of bitterness in his tone. "It took little effort to bed them."

Lydia's stomach did a couple funny flip flops again as she imagined a human Beetlejuice with other women. It wasn't jealousy, though. It felt almost like envy. She shook her head and reached for a slice of pizza. No, that couldn't be right. There was no way that she was envious of the women that had been with him. She decided to change the subject.

"Can I ask how you died?"

He picked a piece of meatloaf out of the container and sniffed it before taking a bite. "Typhus," he answered as he chewed. "Hey, this loaf stuff is good."

Lydia had heard of typhus but didn't know much about it.

"And you've been in the Nether World all this time?"

He reached for one of the fried wonton pieces from another container, popping it in his mouth and crunching noisily. "Pretty much, babe."

"And you've been causing trouble for this long, too?" Lydia wiped her mouth with a napkin and closed the containers; she was getting full.

"No, I actually behaved for a while, if you can believe it. Worked with that cranky smokin' bitty for a long time before I got bored." Noticing that she'd stopped eating, he grabbed the bag of grasshoppers. "Ready for dessert?"

"I think so." She took the chocolate covered insect from him and bit her lip as she eyed it. She took a deep breath and put it in her mouth.

Having been prepared to spit it out instantly, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that it tasted pretty good. It was crunchier than she expected, but honestly, if she hadn't known it was a bug, she would have thought that it was nuts or something.

"Not bad." She reached into the bag for another.

"Told ya. I prefer 'em without chocolate, but the sweet stuff's not bad."

They finished all of the crunchy bugs and then sat back in their chairs.

"I'm stuffed," Lydia announced, her hand palming her stomach. "Thank you again for dinner. Now what?" She realized that she could have gone home, but she wasn't ready to just yet.

"I dunno. I only thought of the food."

Lydia looked around the small room. The only motel that she knew of was half a mile or so out of town, so she assumed that's where they were. Furnishings were only the basics – couch, TV, bed, table and nightstand – but it was enough for her. She was comfortable and wanted to stay longer; it was better than sitting on the ground like they normally did. "Do you watch TV?"

He shrugged as he picked his teeth. "Sometimes."

"Can you make anything play on it?"

"Of course, babe."

"How about Night of the Living Dead?"

"I prefer The Shinin'. How about that?"

She hadn't seen it before, but she had heard of it. "Sure."

They relocated to the small, threadbare couch that looked like it was from the late seventies, Lydia making sure to sit at least a foot away from him. After he stared at the screen for a few seconds, the movie began to play. He snapped his fingers to turn off all of the lights. Realizing she was sitting in the dark in a motel room with Beetlejuice, her stomach fluttered as if there were butterflies trapped inside. She told herself that it was probably just the bugs.

* * *

As she watched the movie, Lydia was fascinated by the mental deterioration of Jack. She gasped when the blood poured from the elevator. She wrinkled her nose when the twin girls appeared.

When Jack tried to bust through the door, she squealed and grabbed Beetlejuice's arm.

"Don't tell me you're scared," he whispered, a hint of amusement in his raspy voice.

Giving him a quick glance, she immediately released her grip and looked away, her cheeks red and hot to the touch. Grabbing him was the last thing she'd meant to do. "No…I just…I was startled, that's all."

"Uh huh. Whatever you say."

Lydia, still trying to calm her racing heart, gave him side glances from her peripheral as the movie continued. With the flickering light dancing upon his face in the darkened room, he almost looked handsome. And then she shook her head. What the hell was she thinking? Since when was he _handsome_?

Beetlejuice cleared his throat. "You know, if you wanted…er…you know… _needed_ to grab my arm again or something, it would be all right. I mean, I – uh – wouldn't mind too much."

Lydia looked over at him – really looked at him. Perhaps it was all of the time that she'd spent with him lately, but she didn't seem to pay attention to how he looked anymore. As long as he behaved, she thought that it might be all right to sit closer to him. She scooted over and hooked one arm under his. Her stomach did that funny flip flop thing again.

* * *

They remained close until the end of the movie. He _did_ behave – which was a shock – and Lydia found that she was rather comfortable with him.

"What did you think?"

Lydia nodded. "I liked it. I'd watch it again."

"How about now?"

Lydia looked up at him. Her emotion-fueled hug aside, it was the closest that they'd been physically. If she leaned over just a few inches, she could kiss him. After yet another funny stomach flutter, she realized that she sort of liked being close to him and remaining there for another couple hours sounded just fine to her.

"Okay."

* * *

When Lydia got home later, she immediately found Barbara.

"What's wrong, honey? You look worried."

Lydia told the ghost about her evening as they sat beside of each other on one of the couches in the attic. "And so we watched it again and sat close like that the entire time."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I…I kind of liked it. I mean, I know that he can be a jackass, but when we talk – when he's just being him – he's kind of almost tolerable." Lydia picked at a loose thread on the hem of her shirt. "I sound absolutely insane, but I feel comfortable around him."

"So you – you're enjoying spending time with him then?"

"I didn't at first. I was determined not to, actually. But he's been trying really hard, even if his efforts have been just a little off."

"Well, _he_ is a little off to start with."

"And so am I," Lydia reminded her. "He's just…I don't know…it's different with him. _He's_ different when it's just us."

Barbara's expression softened as she gave Lydia a sympathetic smile. "So are you considering… _you know_ …I mean…after the things he's done..."

Lydia grimaced. "I know. I mean, am I crazy? Why would I even begin to consider such a thing? Do I really want him as my first?"

Barbara reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know this sounds cliché, but you have to do what feels right to you, regardless of what anyone else thinks. I might be going crazy, too, but the two of you do seem to have some sort of connection."

Lydia sighed and leaned her head back against the couch.

* * *

"How's the job going, punkin'?" Charles asked over dinner.

"It's fine, Dad," Lydia answered as she cut into her chicken pot pie. Delia had been trying out some of Barbara's recipes lately. "I really like it, and Mr. Sheppard is always nice to me."

"You've been putting in some extra hours," Delia commented before taking a sip of her red wine.

"Yeah…a few here and there."

"I heard that there will be some college recruiters at the high school next week."

"Delia," Charles warned with a shake of his head. "There's no rush."

"Yes, I know, but you've seen her photography," she pressed. "With just a little training and – "

"Lydia has her entire life for that," Charles said, giving his daughter a wink. "Besides, she's seeing someone."

Lydia started coughing, nearly spitting out her bite of chicken.

"Well that has nothing to do with school," Delia snipped, with a roll of her eyes. "I dated all through college. It didn't stop me. "

Lydia wiped her mouth before picking up her plate and glass, very uncomfortable being the topic of discussion. And the last thing that she wanted to talk about was who she was – or wasn't – seeing. "I think I'll eat out on the patio."

"How do you know she's dating someone?" she heard Delia ask as she hurried outside, not hanging around to hear the answer. She'd mentioned Isaac a couple times, so her dad probably assumed that's who she was seeing, and she'd let him continue to think it.

* * *

As Lydia lay awake in bed, her mind was swimming in thoughts about Beetlejuice. He'd thrown her for a loop with all of the things that he'd done for her. She'd tried so hard to not be affected by his efforts, but the fact was that she _was_. Glancing around the room, she saw the roses that he'd given her (she'd dried them) and the skull (it sat on her nightstand along with the lizard skeleton in the can). She'd bought a huge tank for the frog – which she'd named Zagnut – but the moments that really perplexed her were when they just sat and talked. She'd always longed for a friendship where she could truly be herself. Neither she nor Beetlejuice put on any sort of airs for each other. They were brutally honest, and it was okay. It was more than okay, in fact. Yes, he could still be crass, blunt and loud, but he could also be thoughtful, understanding and gentle.

Sitting close to him during the movie with her arm looped with his made her feel… _things_. The only other experience that she could compare it to was Isaac – there'd been no one else. Her stomach had done flip flops then, too, but not in anticipation like with Beetlejuice but more in fear; she was afraid of doing something wrong to make Isaac not like her. With Beetlejuice, she didn't care. Well, she hadn't in the beginning, anyway. And, truth be known, she'd enjoyed sitting that close to the ghost; she couldn't deny it as much as she wanted to. She tried to remind herself of who he was – _what_ he was – but it didn't seem to sway her. Neither did the black rimmed eyes or lichen spots on his skin or the fact that he usually smelled like a damp, musty book. Thinking about the lichen in particular, she thought that it was sort of pretty in a way…like a flower. Palming her forehead where she lay, Lydia thought that maybe she had finally lost it as it dawned on her that she was completely attracted to him.

* * *

 ** _Thanks so much for reading! And if you review with an account, I always send a message to say thanks, too._**

 ** _Just another couple chapters to go. It's fun playing with these two. They're both learning lessons. He thought it would be so easy to win her over, but he's finding that it's not, and it's making him feel awkward and uncertain...a stark contrast to his usual pompous, over-confident self. Lydia thought it would be so easy to ignore him, but she's finding that he's actually not that bad and is enjoying his company in spite of herself._ **

**_Who's had chocolate covered grasshoppers? Gotta love Beetlejuice's attempt at a candlelight dinner, right?_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I have to share Lalana-chan's review before we get started (it's public, anyway, so I'm pretty sure it's ok) -**_ **"** **The only objection I really have in these scenarios is that Beetlejuice is DIRTY. I'm reading this, so obviously I don't have an objection to them actually having sex. My objection is that he is completely filthy and that CAN'T be sanitary for Lydia. Would it be unreasonable to expect him to clean up before hand if you do have them consummate?"**

 _ **I thought this was great, and it pretty much sums up ALL of us, right? There's that attraction to Beetlejuice...and then there's the ickiness factor. Well, Beetlejuice has been watching others and taking notes to try to impress Lydia. Needless to say, he realized that his appearance needed a little sprucing up. Read on...**_

* * *

"How would you like to go to a haunted cemetery?" Beetlejuice offered a couple days later when Lydia and he met at their usual spot on Saturday afternoon. He was wearing his black and white striped suit – which she especially liked – and she could have sworn that she smelled the spicy scent of cologne on him. Had he used some? In fact, when she looked at him again, his suit was unusually clean, and his hair looked…well…less unkempt. He'd taken some time on his appearance, and it showed. She liked it.

"Really? Where?"

"New Orleans."

Lydia's shoulders slumped where she stood. "Oh. But that's states away."

"Remember how we got to the motel?" he asked, opening his arms. "Comere."

Feeling more confident than the first time, Lydia stepped forward and put her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest as she closed her eyes. Yes – he'd definitely put on cologne, and she even smelled soap. _Did he shower, too?_

Lydia's thoughts were interrupted by a whooshing noise as wind blew against them, and she felt like she was being pulled forward from her belly button. It reminded her of the sensation when she drove over a small hill too fast. Thankfully, it was over in seconds.

"Here we are."

Lydia stepped away from Beetlejuice and looked around. The old mausoleums that surrounded them resembled little houses and made the historic cemetery look like another city. There were small, simple vaults and large, ornate vaults with stained glass windows, wrought iron gates and sculpted statues. She'd seen photos of them in books, but they were more beautiful in person.

"Wow…it's just…. _wow_ ," she breathed, trying to take it all in, her eyes scanning over the old structures. "How did you know about this place? Did you live in New Orleans once?"

"I'm familiar with many cemeteries. This one happens to be my favorite."

"Are we allowed to just walk around?"

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Does it matter?"

When Lydia arched her eyebrow at him, he pouted a little and hung his head.

"All right, all right. It's closed now, so yeah."

She remembered the story of the first time that he'd met the Maitlands. "Like hanging out in cemeteries, huh?" she asked with a little smirk. "At least this one is full size."

He winked at her. "You know it, babe. Best place to think up trouble."

And there went the flip flop inside her again. Dammit.

* * *

They walked around for a couple hours. Beetlejuice told her about many of the people that were buried there; it was like having her own tour guide. As she walked beside him, it was as if butterflies had suddenly invaded her stomach. She looked up at him as he spoke and watched his mouth. She noticed that he didn't look as scruffy as he usually did – _did he shave, too?_ – and the lichen that had been on the side of his mouth was gone. Even his teeth seemed…better…cleaner somehow. He'd gone all out, apparently, and it made her wonder why. If she knew anything about him, it was that there was always a method to his madness.

Overwhelmed with an urge to be closer to him, Lydia wrapped her hand around his arm. He stopped talking mid-sentence to look at her curiously, but the skeptical glare slowly eased into acceptance as he proffered his arm like a gentleman would. The thought nearly made her snort – _Beetlejuice a gentleman?_ – but she rested her hand in the crook of his arm like a proper lady all the same.

They'd already seen Etienne de Bore's grave – she was the first mayor of New Orleans and a pioneer in the sugar industry – and Ernest Morial's resting place – he was the first African-American mayor. Lydia was surprised at how much history Beetlejuice knew about the place.

"And in the Glapion family crypt over here is where they believe Marie Laveau is buried. People leave offerings to her because they think that she will grant them a wish."

"Wait – Marie Laveau…the voodoo priestess?"

"That's the one."

"Gosh. This place is so amazing. I wish I'd brought my camera."

Beetlejuice snapped his fingers. "You mean this one?"

Lydia squealed and jumped up and down when her camera appeared in his hand. "Yes! Thank you!"

* * *

Lydia spent about an hour taking photos of the mausoleums. She was in heaven and felt a strong connection to the cemetery. Beetlejuice had told her that it was opened in 1789 and that Mark Twain had once referred to the New Orleans cemeteries as _'cities of the dead'_ because of the house-like structures. It was easy to understand why Beetlejuice liked this one so much, especially since it was the oldest cemetery in the city. Lydia especially liked when she saw fresh flowers by the tombs. To her, nothing was sadder than a forgotten and neglected resting place.

"Don'tcha want to be in any of the photos, little miss photographer?"

"The camera prefers me on this side," she quietly answered, dropping her head down sheepishly.

Beetlejuice huffed and shook his head. "Bullshit. Gimme the camera."

Reluctantly, Lydia handed it to him. Being _in_ photos wasn't really her thing as it normally made her uncomfortable, but she trusted him – _when had that happened_ – so she decided to give him a shot.

"Um…what do I do?"

"Pose."

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know how. I'm a photographer, not a model, remember?"

Beetlejuice looked around and then pointed to a nearby mausoleum that didn't have an iron fence around it. "Stand there, and just act normal."

"But I'm not normal," she reminded him with a smirk.

He scowled at her. "Just shut up, and stand there."

Lydia laughed as she did what he said. She heard him snapping lots of photos but tried not to pay it any attention since she was fairly self-conscious of how she looked.

"Stand with your back against it…yeah…okay look up – " _snap snap_ " – now to the side – "

"When did you learn photography?"

"You tend to pick things up over the centuries," he answered but then frowned as he looked at her. "Um…hold on."

"What's wrong?"

Beetlejuice walked over to her and, instinctively, Lydia pressed her back into the hard stone wall behind her. When he reached up to brush some of her hair behind her shoulders, his eyes met hers, and she held her breath as she looked up at him. She hadn't paid much attention to his eyes, but they were sort of dark blue, like the color of the sky just as twilight turned to night. His penetrating gaze dropped to her parted lips, and she licked them nervously. Was he…no…he wasn't going to kiss her…was he? Would she let him if he tried? She thought for sure that he could hear her heart pounding.

Before she could decide how she felt about kissing him, he lifted his eyes to hers once more, and the conflict that she saw in them confused her. What would he be conflicted about? Didn't he want to kiss her? Had he changed his mind?

"I just wanted to – um – fix your hair…you know…for the photos."

Lydia – who was finally breathing again – nodded and swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She was a little disappointed. "Yeah…okay."

Walking back to where he'd been, Beetlejuice returned to his photo taking, and she followed his instruction easily. He wasn't too bad at directing her, and she was surprisingly comfortable with him behind the camera. That had never happened before. .

"Lie down on the steps there," he continued.

"In front of the mausoleum?"

"Yep."

"And do what?"

"Close your eyes…put your hand on your forehead…I dunno…somethin' like that."

Lydia fidgeted for a minute until she finally settled on a pose, reclining on the steps with the back of her hand on her forehead. She felt a little silly – like she was being overly dramatic – but _he_ didn't make her feel silly at all. And she was certain that if her pose didn't look right he would have said something because he was blunt like that.

"Wait 'til ya see these. Not bad if I do say so myself."

Lydia stood and took her camera from him since he'd finished the roll of film. "Can I take some of you? Will you even show up on film?"

"No, I won't, but I'll happily pose, anyway."

Lydia couldn't suppress her giggle as he immediately struck a GQ type pose, popping up his collar and doing what she surmised was supposed to be a sexy face expression while crossing his arms. "Such a ham."

"Maybe. But you know you like it."

Thing was – she did.

* * *

Lydia and Beetlejuice continued wandering around the cemetery. They pointed out things they liked – or didn't like – about the tombs as if designing their own. Some were in bad disarray while others were in decent condition.

Pausing her reverie to look up at the sky, Lydia noticed that the sun had set – it would be dark soon. Time had flown in the cemetery with Beetlejuice; she'd really enjoyed it.

"I guess we should probably go."

"Why?"

"Well…it's getting dark."

"Are you afraid? Nothin' here scarier than me, babe."

"I'm not afraid," she said, jutting her chin out defensively.

"Then let's stay; I'm not ready to leave. Are you?"

Lydia looked around at the old mausoleums and then back at him. The butterflies inside her were having one hell of a party, but if he wanted to remain there, then she'd happily remain there with him. "No, I'm not ready to leave. We'll stay."

* * *

The shadows elongated, eventually all blending together as darkness slowly descended. Low-lying fog began to weave its way around the bases of the mausoleums as the temperature dropped, and it caused Lydia to cross her arms in search of some warmth.

"Getting a little chilly," she commented when Beetlejuice gave her a curious look.

"Um…you could wear my jacket, I guess," he offered awkwardly. When he noticed the expression of uncertainty on her face, he added, "I just had it cleaned; I swear."

Lydia couldn't help but laugh at Beetlejuice's assumption that her questioning expression was because his clothes were dirty. "Okay." She took it from him and gave him her camera to hold so that she could put it on. "Thanks."

It smelled a tiny bit musty, and she thought that he'd probably had a cigarette or two while wearing it, but overall, it did seem cleaner. As she looked up into the clear night sky, she exclaimed, "Ooh look – it's a full moon tonight. I love to sit and stare at a full moon. So beautiful…so mysterious."

Beetlejuice shrugged. "Eh…it's boring up there. Now Jupiter – _that's_ a happenin' place!"

She pursed her lips, a look of disbelief on her face. "You're lying."

"I am not. I can tell you all sorts of stories."

Lydia smiled as the stars twinkled in the dark sky above them. It was such a perfect night. This was the best thing that he'd done for her so far.

Beetlejuice reached into his pocket for a tiny tin. "Do you like these mint thingies?" he asked, putting one in his mouth as he offered the tin to her.

Lydia eyed him and the tin suspiciously. "Breath mints? I didn't think you liked that sort of thing." She took one for herself and immediately started chewing the tiny piece of peppermint. He really threw her for a loop sometimes.

He shrugged and shoved the tin back into his pocket. "Yeah…well…I saw some other people doin' it. Thought ya might like it."

"I do. Thank you."

* * *

A few minutes later, Beetlejuice grabbed Lydia's hand and pulled her towards one of the larger mausoleums. "This is my favorite one of all. You gotta come in here."

He opened the small iron gate – which he probably wasn't supposed to do, but it looked like the lock had broken a long time ago, anyway – and she followed him inside. The vault was twice as big as the others with burial chambers on either side, leaving a three foot wide space in between. The ceiling was six feet high and solid except for one circular opening in the center about two feet wide in diameter. The length from the door to the back of the building was about eight feet. There were numerous rusted plaques on the walls with the names and dates of those who rested in the tomb, but Lydia couldn't see them very well. The scent of wet dirt permeated her senses – like twenty-year-old patchouli – but there was also the slightest sweet scent of gardenia tickling her nose; she assumed that there must have been some flowers somewhere that she couldn't see.

"So why is this one your favorite?" She walked all the way inside, noticing how eerily quiet the space was; the sounds around them muffled by the thick cement.

"I don't know. I just always gravitate towards this one. I've spent hours in here just sittin' and thinkin' and comin' up with schemes."

"Do you ever get lonely?" It dawned on Lydia that Beetlejuice must spend most of his time alone. It's not like he had friends that he could visit; besides her, anyway. She knew how that felt, and it wasn't fun.

He huffed indignantly from where he still stood near the entrance and crossed his arms. "Of course not."

It was hard to see his eyes in the darkened mausoleum – he'd probably rolled them – but the tone of his voice wasn't convincing. "I don't believe you."

"Okay – look – once… _maybe_ twice a year tops, I might have the slightest bit of interest in chattin' for like a minute or two, but that's it, ya know what I mean?"

The false bravado didn't fool Lydia as she tightened his coat around her in the damp air. "In other words, yes."

Beetlejuice didn't say anything which was the most telling. Apparently, she understood a bit about him, as well. Even crass, devilish bio-exorcists like him needed a little conversation occasionally.

"You know, if you wanted to, you could come talk to me sometimes," she offered.

"Like…whenever I felt like it?"

"Yeah."

"You wouldn't kick me out or anything?"

"Probably not." The more Lydia thought about it, the more she liked the idea. She'd enjoyed their conversations; she could admit that. She saw no reason why they couldn't continue talking from time to time.

Beetlejuice put her camera down and stepped closer to her as the moon light shone down through the opening in the top of the vault. It made him look ironically ethereal as the soft white light illuminated his already pale face. Thinking again that he looked handsome, her stomach flip flops turned into violent somersaults.

"What if it was late?" His raspy voice that usually sounded like he'd gargled a bunch of gravel was now a low purr.

"That would be okay. I mean, I usually stay up pretty late, anyway." Lydia swallowed and took a step back. She was getting quite warm and didn't think it was because of his jacket. She replayed the night over in her mind – he'd cleaned up, shaved, used cologne, was eating breath mints – and now they were alone in his favorite dark vault. Though she was inexperienced, she was not naïve – she assumed that he'd planned everything, including them ending up inside this vault. And if he did, she was perfectly fine with it.

Beetlejuice stepped closer, his searing stare pinning her where she stood. "Even after midnight?"

Lydia took one more step back and hit the unyielding damp stone behind her. "Um…yeah," she answered, unable to look away from him. The energy in the cramped space around them silently crackled with a nervous apprehension, and her breathing had grown shallow and uneven.

"But you would probably be in your room then." His voice wasn't much louder than a whisper, and she shifted where she stood, squeezing her thighs together as she thought about him being in her room with her and what might happen.

Lydia swallowed again and breathed deeply to calm her nerves. It was a futile attempt at best. "Probably."

"Mmm hmm…most likely in your bed."

Lydia thought how sexy he sounded when he spoke quietly instead of using his scratchy ghost voice. It was making her _feel_ _things_ again, and she bit her lip.

"Um…yeah…most likely." He took one more step and was now standing toe to toe with her in the dark mausoleum as her heart thundered in her ears. She looked up at him, but shadows hid his face. She longed to see his eyes.

Beetlejuice reached up to touch her hair, brushing the long chestnut colored locks behind her shoulder like he did when he took the photos of her earlier. Her sharp intake of breath was involuntarily audible, and she was thankful the darkness concealed her blush. "And…if I just…ya know…popped in, sometimes it's hard to know where I'll land…and it could – _possibly_ – be right beside you in your bed."

Lydia pressed her palms flat against the gritty cement wall that currently kept her upright, hoping it would somehow ease her nerves. Maybe she was feeling more anticipation than nervousness. The thought of being in bed with him made her weak in the knees as she pictured him on top of her, immediately wanting to know what that would be like. "Yeah…um…possibly."

Beetlejuice lifted his hand again but hesitated as if not sure of his next move. He licked his lips before cupping the side of her face so that he could slide his thumb across her bottom lip. "Would you kick me out if that happened? If I landed in bed beside you?"

Lydia couldn't speak for a moment, too overwhelmed from his caress. No one had touched her mouth like that, and she longed for more. Her lips tingled, and she leaned into his hand that was cool against her cheek.

"No…I…I don't think I would," she whispered, finally finding some semblance of her voice. She was dizzy with desire as she stared at him, digging her nails into the stone. Isaac was the only guy that she'd been this close to, but he hadn't made her feel like _this_ …like she wanted to melt into the ocean of his embrace and be swept away in the undertow.

Beetlejuice boldly slipped one hand to her waist while gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear with his other, and she bit back a whimper. "We'd probably be pretty close…you know…like this." The words were barely audible, and she wondered if he was nervous, too.

"Probably…yeah."

"And ya know…me bein' how I am…I might try to get a little close to you…like this."

Lydia's throat was bone dry as Beetlejuice leaned towards her, stopping only a few inches from her mouth, and she swallowed again so that she could speak – or at least try to – but it came out as a soft sigh. "Yeah…"

"Yeah…and I might try to do somethin' like this," he whispered, closing the distance between them and pressing his mouth to hers.

A soft gasp emanated from the back of Lydia's throat as she froze where she stood, both from shock and pleasure as his lips moved hesitantly against hers. It seemed so wrong, yet it felt so right to be in his arms. She relinquished her grip on the wall to put her hands on his waist. Sensing her acquiesce, Beetlejuice gently slipped his hand under her hair and tilted her head, pressing her to the wall with his body as his attentions intensified.

When his tongue slipped into her mouth, Lydia whimpered and fisted his shirt. She was too lost in the overwhelming sensations to think about doing anything else, plus she had little experience to know what to do, anyway. His taste was unique – like an old book pulled from the dirt wrapped in a mint – but she didn't mind. It was not at all like she thought it would be, and she pulled him even closer as a mantra of _more, more, more_ began playing in her head.

Much to her displeasure, Beetlejuice tore his mouth from hers, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "Lydia…um…"

"You kissed me," she breathed, not even trying to conceal her awe. Her head spun in intoxication, and she craved more of his touch. He'd awakened something deep within her that she didn't even know had existed. Why had he stopped?

"Yeah, I did…um…"

"Did you…you know…like it?" It probably seemed like a silly question, but Lydia wanted to know. She never would have asked Isaac, but she knew that she could ask Beetlejuice and not be laughed at.

"Shouldn't I be askin' you that?"

"Just answer the question."

In a move that she was not expecting, Beetlejuice shifted his hips against hers, allowing his erection to press against her abdomen. "What do _you_ think?"

It felt like a steel rod was pressing into her flesh as Lydia gasped and subconsciously rubbed against him. " _Oh God_ ," she sighed, resting her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. "You…you're…"

"Hard as a fuckin' rock for ya…yeah," he confirmed unapologetically.

Lydia squirmed where she stood, heat pooling between her thighs. Visions from photos and videos flashed through her mind, and she tried to imagine what he looked like down there. "It's just…I've never felt…you know…"

"Never?" he asked, playing with her hair at the base of her neck and causing goosebumps to flood over her body that was already overwhelmed from his touch. "Should I not – "

"No," she quickly answered, holding him in place when he started to move away from her. "I like it. It makes me feel – "

"Randy? Horny? Tell me in lascivious detail," Beetlejuice requested, making her laugh.

Lydia tried to look up at him again – she especially wanted to see his eyes – but he was mostly a shadow in front of her. "It makes me feel desired. And I…I've always wondered what that felt like."

Beetlejuice slipped his hand around to the small of her back, and she bit back a moan at the contact. She'd been leery that his embrace would be like him – erratic and savage – but it wasn't like that at all. He was tender and gentle, and the fire within her grew hotter.

"Can I – uh – kiss you again?"

"Seriously? You're asking me?"

"Hey – I'm tryin' to be somewhat polite here," he growled, sounding like his old self for a second.

"Your crotch is imprinting itself on me."

Beetlejuice thrust against her once, and that time, she couldn't stop the moan that fell from her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut. Good God – what would that feel like inside her?

" _Mmm_ …yeah…good point."

He wrapped both arms around her waist and fiercely sealed his lips over hers again as she clasped both hands behind his neck and completely gave herself to him, her body soft and pliable against his. She slid her fingers through his hair which was coarse and thick between her fingers like a wig as he swept his tongue through her mouth in deep, slow circles that kindled her internal flame to a feverish pitch. Digging her nails into his scalp, she was pleased when he groaned in reaction to what she'd done. She'd never made a man moan before, and it made her feel… _powerful_.

Beetlejuice kissed a scorching wet trail from her mouth, along her jaw and down to her neck as she slumped against him, her knees weak as pressure grew in her lower abdomen. She leaned her head back against the damp cement again and moaned quietly as he nipped and sucked at the sensitive pulse point near her collarbone which caused the inferno within her loins to erupt like a lava geyser. She'd never experienced such immense pleasure before, and it felt like the entire world had shifted on its axis around her.

When Beetlejuice's hand journeyed leisurely into his jacket that she still wore and up the side of her body to her breast, Lydia cried out – more because of how it felt, not because she didn't want him to do more of it – but it caused him to jump away from her in alarm.

"What the hell? What did I do?" he asked in a panic, his chest heaving. And suddenly, without warning, his head spun around numerous times as he cried out, grabbing it when it finally stopped. "Damn, I hate when it does that!"

"Oh my gosh! Are you all right?" Lydia was shocked and briefly forgot their shared moment. She'd never seen his head do that before! Seemed like she remembered Barbara mentioning it, but it was still quite jarring to witness.

"Yeah…it just…happens sometimes," he quickly explained, shaking his head a bit. "Anyway, did I hurt you or somethin'? Why d'you yell?"

"Sorry. I just…no one's touched me…there…I mean, I haven't – "

Beetlejuice nodded, motioning towards her, seemingly okay and fully recovered from his _Exorcist_ moment as if it had been nothing more than a sneeze. "Oh…because you…you're…"

Lydia played with her fingers nervously, assuming that he'd known. "Is that bad?"

"No…um…I guess I just thought that you'd already…you know…done the _horizontal mambo_."

"There just hadn't been anyone that wanted me that much, I guess." Most guys that she'd known in school had just thought she was weird, and then she'd attended an all-girls school after her family moved to Winter River. There hadn't exactly been a plethora of men for her to meet.

"Idiots," he mumbled with a huff. "Look, Lydia – I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that I want you, but the real question here is do ya want me? I mean, especially if you haven't…"

Lydia bit her lip and crossed her arms; she was getting chilly again even though she still wore his jacket. She missed the warmth of their bodies flush against each other. "Do I have to decide right now?" She was astonished that he was even asking her. That was his ultimate goal after all, right? For her to want him?

Beetlejuice stuffed his hands in his pockets as if he didn't trust them to remain out. "No, of course not." He cleared his throat and asked, "Have you – uh – kissed anyone? Or was that - "

"Just one." Lydia assumed that he could figure out who.

"Okay."

They stood in silence, listening to the tree frogs chirping in nearby trees outside the mausoleum, until Lydia asked, "So now what?" She really wanted to taste his kisses again. Maybe even try out second base once more minus her scaring him away.

Beetlejuice shrugged. "I could get naked, and we could shag like two sandworms in heat. That gets my vote."

Lydia laughed which seemed to break the tension. "Or maybe you could take me home." She didn't trust herself – the kissing had felt awfully good, and she was certain that _more than kissing_ would feel even better – and someone's sacred resting place didn't seem like an appropriate place to make out, anyway.

Beetlejuice sighed and picked up her camera to hand to her. "Yeah…um…I suppose I could do that."

* * *

It took Lydia well over an hour to go to sleep once she finally got home. She kept replaying her night with Beetlejuice in the cemetery – especially the kissing part – over and over in her mind. She was trying to make sense out of how she felt. She'd kissed Beetlejuice and _liked it_ ; wanted more of it. In fact, she'd been disappointed when she didn't find a hickey on her neck after checking in the mirror before bed. Girls that she'd known in school had sometimes showed her theirs, and it always made Lydia a little jealous.

The past couple of weeks, she'd learned that Beetlejuice could be quite…human. He had insecurities and fears just like everyone else. When he wasn't trying to keep up his outlandish bio-exorcist façade, he was actually easy to talk to. Yes, he wanted something from her, but he wasn't being fake with his attentions. Besides, she didn't think that he could be fake if he tried; he was too blunt. She was also surprised at how respectful he'd been towards her; it wasn't something that she'd expected from him.

Lydia couldn't deny what she'd experienced in Beetlejuice's arms – longing, desire, need – it was the first time that she'd felt so wanted and also the first time that she'd felt _that_ particular part of a man against her. She'd seen photos – she'd even watched a couple dirty movies years ago, so she knew what the male anatomy looked like, but feeling it pressed to her body made her crave more intimate knowledge of such things.

Lydia thought of the stories that she'd read with steamy sex scenes in them. Would it be in any way like what she'd read? Authors always made sex sound so passionate – so primal – like the characters' base instincts took over as lust controlled them. Sex had never been in the forefront of Lydia's mind – mostly because she'd assumed that she'd be too weird for most guys and subsequently remain a virgin forever – but now the chance was standing directly in front of her, so to speak. All she had to do was say yes, and all of her wonderings and dreams about being with someone would become reality. What if the opportunity never came again? What if there was no one else who made her feel like this? Isaac hadn't. Sure, she'd kissed him, and it had been nice, but it hadn't set her on fire like kissing Beetlejuice had.

 _But you'll be married if you do it_ , a voice reminded her. _Is that what you want?_ Lydia sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. No, she didn't exactly want to be married, but that's what the annulment papers were for. Juno had already told Barbara and Adam that it wouldn't be a problem.

Lydia remembered how exciting it had been to be in Beetlejuice's arms – her breasts pressed against his chest, his tongue teasing and stroking hers, her body pinned between him and the cement wall – and it made her moan where she lay, squeezing her thighs together in search of relief from the phantom sensations that still lingered. She hadn't touched herself in a while – perhaps that's just what she needed to help her go to sleep.

And as Lydia allowed events of the evening to replay in her head for _motivation_ , being with Beetlejuice suddenly seemed like the most normal thing in the world.

* * *

 _ **I have to admit...I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. The entire cemetery bit just seemed to fit them to a T. Thoughts?**_

 _ **As always, thanks SO much for reviews. If you send one, I send you a message back (if you have an account). They make my day!**_


	5. Chapter 5

A day had never felt longer than the current one. Lydia asked Mr. Sheppard if she could leave work early; she knew he wouldn't mind. She just couldn't wait to see Beetlejuice again, and she wondered what would happen after their kiss in New Orleans. Would he kiss her again? Would he try to do more? Would she let him? She'd replayed their time together in the cemetery over in her mind so many times already it was unhealthy.

After Mr. Sheppard told her she could go, Lydia grabbed the photos that Beetlejuice had taken – she'd developed them first thing that morning – and then rushed to their spot in the woods with a pounding heart and smile on her face.

"Where are you?" she called out, expecting him to appear on cue like he usually did. "Are you here?"

As Lydia looked away from the tree and further into the woods, Beetlejuice appeared seconds later.

"You're early."

Lydia spun around with a startled gasp. "Oh God, you scared me," she reacted, her hand on her chest. "Um…yeah…I was anxious to show you the photos that you took."

"They look great, don't they?"

Lydia didn't miss his smug smirk as they sat down on the ground by the tree. "Yes, they do look pretty good, actually."

"Gimme." He snatched the black and white photos from her and looked through them. "Wow. These _are_ good. You look beautiful."

Lydia's cheeks started burning. "I don't know about that. But the overall composition of the photos is amazing."

As they sat side by side with their shoulders touching, Beetlejuice scowled at her. "Look, you're fucking beautiful, okay?"

The seriousness in his gaze was effective – she could see that he meant what he'd said. She glanced at his mouth and nervously licked her lips before focusing on the photos again. "You know I'm not comfortable with compliments."

"Whatever," Beetlejuice huffed, shuffling through the prints again. "Truth is truth."

The spicy scent of cologne tickled Lydia's nose, and as she inhaled deeply, it made her want to crawl into his lap and bury her face in the crook of his neck. She also noticed that his clothes were fairly clean again, and she wondered what that meant, if anything. Studying his face, she was pleased to discover that she was just as attracted to him in the daylight as in the shadows because she'd wondered about that. Everyone looked the same in the dark, and she knew that Beetlejuice was no Patrick Swayze. But his pale face and the dark circles around his eyes still intrigued her, and even the small lichen spots along the side of his temple and neck were somehow attractive on him.

"What?" he asked brusquely when he saw her staring at him. "Do I have something in my teeth? I brushed them earlier."

The butterflies in Lydia's stomach swarmed again, and her heart rate tried to match their celerity. She knew what she wanted, but she didn't really know how to ask for it.

"Can you move us somewhere?"

Beetlejuice's expression instantly softened. "Of course, babe. Where do you want to go?"

"We could maybe go to the hotel again…you know…if you wanted to," Lydia suggested timidly. She hoped he wanted to, anyway.

"Do _you_ want to go there?"

Lydia swallowed, her throat dry. "Well…yeah. Maybe we could watch another movie?"

"All right then. Let's go."

They stood and brushed the dirt and leaves off of their clothes. Without him needing to ask, Lydia embraced him, and they were in a hotel room seconds later.

"How do you get these rooms, anyway?" Lydia had told herself that she wouldn't ask, but curiosity got the better of her.

"I just work a little magic so that the simpletons in the office think it's a normal reservation."

"Sneak," Lydia commented with a smirk as she sat down on the couch, casting a quick glance at the bed. He'd been more than ready to play the other night, so she wondered if he was now. She thought that she might be.

"So, what are we watchin'?" Beetlejuice asked, slumping to the couch beside her.

" _Night of the Living Dead_."

"Pffft. Baby stuff."

"Shut up. I like it."

A few seconds later after Beetlejuice stared at the set, the opening credits began, but Lydia was not paying it much attention. She wanted to be closer to him so she scooted over until the sides of their bodies touched, her hands resting in her lap. She felt like such a virgin. Maybe she should have tried to find some porn movies. She assumed that they weren't exactly realistic, but at least they could have given her some ideas of how to proceed.

"I had fun last night in the cemetery."

"Told ya – I love it."

Lydia watched the movie for a couple minutes as she tried to think of something to do or say. Was she supposed to wait for him to make a move? Or would it be okay if she did? He wasn't a regular guy – he wasn't a regular human, for that matter – so she didn't think he would care about the same societal niceties that other people would. "I think my favorite vault was the last one you showed me," she continued, nervously rubbing her palms together.

Beetlejuice's focus turned towards her then. "Really?"

"Really." Lydia had wanted to see his eyes so badly the other night, and now she finally could. She loved their color – a stormy sapphire blue – and she especially liked how they were looking at her…curiosity with what she hoped was desire. She could even see the little bursts of gold that circled his pupils…like tiny sun flares around a total eclipse.

"Why?" Beetlejuice asked, both his expression and voice soft.

Lydia tried to think of how to answer him. She wasn't comfortable with being bold, so she said the first thing that crossed her mind. "It was pretty and unique and larger than the others."

"Is that it?" There was a hint of hopefulness in his tone.

Lydia thought her heart would burst right out of her chest. Did he have to ask her all these questions? Glancing at his pale lips and wishing he would just kiss her already, she answered truthfully, "No, that's not it."

"So…what else did you like then?"

The heat radiating from Beetlejuice as he leaned into her caused Lydia to shift her hips where she sat on the couch beside of him. She needed to just say it. She could tell him – she could tell him anything. "I – um – I liked when you were close to me."

One side of his mouth lifted into a smirk. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, and I – uh – I liked when you…you know… kissed me." Lydia was a little embarrassed and wanted to look away from him after her admission, but she couldn't. The relief that she thought she saw in his eyes pulled her towards him like a moth to a flame.

"Lydia," Beetlejuice whispered, leaning closer towards her. She heard the question in his tone, but he didn't need to ask. Kissing him was all she'd thought about since they'd left New Orleans.

With no further word, Lydia bravely closed the small distance between them, desperate to feel his mouth against hers again.

Beetlejuice must have been experiencing the same ardor because Lydia barely registered his lips against hers before her back hit the couch cushions, making her squeal in surprise.

Alarmed by her reaction, Beetlejuice scrambled away from her and held up his hands. "Okay…you freak me out when you do that."

Lydia slowly sat up, but she didn't want to stop. "I don't mean to…I just…this is all new to me. Maybe just…slower?"

"Slower."

"Yeah."

Beetlejuice nodded as he glanced around the room. "Yeah…okay…slower. Can we move to the bed, at least?"

Lydia's heart skipped a beat at his suggestion. "All right." She'd fantasized about being in bed with him, and this was her chance. She was nervous, but she was more excited.

Beetlejuice's eyes enlarged. "Really?"

Apparently, he didn't think she would agree, and his astonishment made Lydia giggle. "Yes. Really."

With the movie still playing, they walked the few steps to the bed. Lydia got in first – her heartbeat hammering in her ribcage – with Beetlejuice close behind. Lying on her back, she welcomed his body to hers as their mouths crashed together only seconds later.

Kissing was familiar, so that came easy for Lydia, happily submitting when he pressed for more, his tongue sweeping through her mouth in deep, languid circles. He tasted the same as before, and she tangled her fingers in his coarse hair as she turned towards him, eager to feel his body against hers.

One of Beetlejuice's legs was sandwiched in between Lydia's, and when he pressed his knee to an area that only she'd ever touched, it made her eyes roll back into her head. She moaned softly and squeezed her thighs together in reaction, not even embarrassed by it.

"Is that good?" Beetlejuice whispered against her mouth before trailing kisses along her jaw and down her neck, causing goose bumps to scatter across her skin like marbles on tile.

When he nipped at her collarbone, Lydia gasped. "It's _so_ good." She forgot some of her nervousness as she sought more contact with his knee. The pressure was tremendous and made her see stars. It wasn't like when she touched herself, and yet it was somehow better because it was him doing it.

When Beetlejuice slid his hand down the side of her body, he stopped at her knee, hooking his hand behind it and lifting it up to rest on the top of his hip. She dug her nails into his bicep and was surprised at the muscle there; he was stronger than she thought. As he continued rubbing the growing heat between her thighs, she soon realized that repositioning her leg like he had meant that his movements were even more effective, and it made her crave more as her pelvic muscles began to tighten.

Beetlejuice nipped at Lydia's neck, and it reminded her of something, though she was having a difficult time forming a coherent thought. "Could you…um…do something there?" she whispered.

"Oh, I can do a lot," Beetlejuice murmured, his voice vibrating against the sensitive skin under her ear.

"I mean…on my neck," Lydia explained, her thoughts fuzzy. "Like a hickey."

Beetlejuice lifted his head enough so that he could see her eyes. "Mark you?"

"Yeah…is that silly? I remember seeing girls in school with them and – "

"I'll do whatever you want," Beetlejuice told her, his voice deep and husky. "Where?"

Lydia shrugged where she lay in his arms. "On my neck somewhere, I guess. I don't care if anyone sees it."

"You don't?"

"No. I'm not ashamed of it. I want it."

Beetlejuice grabbed her leg again and pulled her even closer before sealing his lips to her neck, sucking and nipping with fervor. Between the pressure between her legs and the gentle sucking on her neck, Lydia immediately recognized the pleasurable sensation that was building and chased it. Closing her eyes, she began to move her hips against him and found a rhythm that was quite efficacious. He must have understood what she was doing because he moved his knee in time with her.

Biting her lip, Lydia dug one set of her nails into Beetlejuice's arm and the other into his back. A tiny part of her couldn't believe what she was doing – she didn't even know if others did it – but she was too focused on the goal to care. She felt like she was on a roller coaster that was about to jump the track, and she white-knuckled the lap bar for all her worth.

When Lydia started whimpering, Beetlejuice kissed a wet trail from her collarbone to her jaw. "Fuck yes," he whispered, the heat of his ragged breath warming the shell of her ear. "That's it, Lydia. Don't hold back. Use me…my body…whatever you need."

Lydia was wound up tighter than a drawn bow, the speed of their grinding increasing as her need grew. She was lost to desire, and when Beetlejuice began to whisper naughty things in her ear, that was all she needed for the arrow to be shot from the bow. Crying out when the inner spasms started, she clawed at his arm and rode out the crests and troughs of her orgasm until she was a panting, trembling mess beside him.

With a low growl, Beetlejuice gave Lydia no time to recover or to think about what had just happened. He pushed her flat on her back and wedged his hips between her thighs as he kissed her deeply.

"So hard," he murmured, his mouth barely leaving hers as he gently thrust his erection against her sensitive core that was teasing her with the possibility of a second release. "Lydia, I need – "

"Go ahead," she whispered, reaching her hands down to his lower back and pulling him closer to her. Her entire body still tingled from her orgasm, and the friction that was building between her legs as his length repeatedly slid along her core was driving her mad. She had the brief thought of going all the way with him right then, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him.

Beetlejuice's kisses were rough and deep as he continued rubbing his hips against hers faster and faster. Lydia wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on tight. He was heavy on top of her, but she was too caught up in his throaty whimpers and frenzied groans to care.

Tearing his mouth from hers, Beetlejuice latched onto the other side of her neck, sucking hard enough to make Lydia wince. His moaning and grunting was turning her on, and she wondered if that's how sex would be with him. It made her want it more.

When Beetlejuice came, his last few thrusts were so forceful, they pushed Lydia up the bed a few inches, and she was certain that the roar that emanated from him was heard outside their room, not that it bothered her. With one last satisfied sigh, he buried his face in her neck as he relaxed on top of her.

Lydia had no words. She'd just wanted to kiss him some more; she hadn't thought about rubbing herself against him or him doing the same. But damn had it been the most fun thing that she'd ever done. She wasn't sure if she was embarrassed or not – she'd never done such a private thing in front of anyone before or heard anyone else do it, excluding the movies that she'd seen – but she wasn't uncomfortable. She was relieved at that and smiled where she lay. It was the most content that she'd ever felt.

When Beetlejuice lifted his head to look at her, Lydia was surprised at the affection she saw gazing back at her. She'd never thought of him as being capable of much emotion, but she saw it in his eyes. They were so much more expressive than he realized.

"That was somethin'," Beetlejuice exhaled with a wide grin. "And here I thought you just wanted to watch a movie."

"I guess I wanted to do this more," Lydia said with a shrug, their bodies still entwined.

Beetlejuice looked down at her neck worriedly. "Um…the marks are pretty dark. I kind of got carried away listening to you."

"Good." Lydia couldn't wait to see them. She wanted to go to the bathroom to check them out, but she liked their position better and didn't want to move.

"You don't care?"

"I told you I'm not ashamed."

Beetlejuice rolled his eyes as he shifted to lie beside her on the bed. "You're weird."

Lydia giggled as the movie continued to play in the background. "Well, look at the pot calling the kettle black."

* * *

"Barbara, it was the most amazing thing I've ever felt," Lydia told her friend that night after being asked about the hickeys.

"First experiences are precious," Barbara agreed as they sat on Lydia's bed. "You're sure he's not pushing you, though? Adam is very concerned about that."

"He's not. I've instigated most everything. I really thought that he would be more demanding, but he hasn't been. It all just feels…right."

"I haven't been with anyone but Adam, however, there was one guy in high school that I made out pretty heavily with at his house. It was one of the best times I've ever had."

Lydia smiled, recognizing Barbara's dreamy face expression. "I knew you'd get it. Anyone else would have sent me to a loony bin by now."

"What about the marks on your neck, though? They're really dark. I can't imagine that Charles or Delia were very happy about that."

Lydia pursed her lips and shook her head. "They weren't. Dad left the room, and Delia flipped out, but I didn't tell them anything." There was one more thing that she wanted to know, and she only felt comfortable asking Barbara about it. "Um…can I ask you something?"

"You know you can ask me anything, honey."

"Did it hurt? When you…you know…did it the first time?" Lydia was so thankful that she had Barbara to talk to. She never would've had this kind of conversation with Delia. She'd talk to her father about sex before her step-mother (and _that_ was never going to happen).

"Adam was very gentle; he knew I hadn't done it before. Some women have more pain, but I didn't have much at all. I remember feeling very full initially, but then it started to feel pretty good." Barbara's expression of understanding turned serious as she cleared her throat. "Um…have you thought about protection?"

Lydia frowned. "I'm pretty sure he can't get me pregnant."

"Well, no, but he could have other diseases that could hurt you. Please tell me that you'll buy some condoms."

Lydia hadn't thought about it, but she supposed Barbara had a point. She had no idea of whom (or what) he'd been with over the years, and she didn't care to know. "Yes, I'll make sure to buy some."

* * *

A couple days later – only six away from the 'deadline' – Lydia met Beetlejuice after work as usual, and within ten minutes, he'd moved them into another hotel room. Originally, they were going to watch _The Exorcist_ (at least that was the excuse), but they didn't last ten minutes into the movie before they were lip-locked.

When Beetlejuice eased her down to the couch – slowly this time – Lydia was ready and allowed it. When he covered her body with his, she happily welcomed it. And when he wedged himself between her thighs again, she eagerly opened them and wrapped her legs around him.

Lydia clasped her hands behind his neck as they kissed, forgetting all about the movie. And when he slid his hand up the side of her body to her breast, squeezing and kneading the soft flesh, she didn't cry out and startle him but pulled him tighter to her instead, moaning softly. And when she felt him hard between her legs, she rocked her hips against his in search of more contact. Even though he was technically dead, he made her feel more alive than ever.

Lydia hadn't really paid attention to his hands – she'd been too caught up in his heated kisses and his pulsing hard rod between her legs – so she was unaware that he'd pushed her shirt up until he sealed his mouth over her nipple.

" _Oh God!_ " she cried out, grabbing the back of his head and holding him to her. Moans and sighs spilled from her lips as he swirled his tongue over the sensitive tip while she writhed underneath him. His gentle suckling lit a fire that ran like a dynamite fuse from her breast to the most private part of her body, and she knew an explosion was imminent. "More," she whimpered. "I need…I don't know what I need exactly…it just feels so good."

"Have you touched yourself?"

"Yes."

"Has anyone else? I mean, with their hands – not like what we did the other day."

Lydia shook her head as she anxiously licked her lips. "No, but you can if you want," she whispered, her heart thundering in her chest. She'd always wondered what it would feel like to be touched there by someone else, and she couldn't wait.

"We – uh – should probably move to the bed then," Beetlejuice suggested, his voice shaky and devoid of its usual confidence.

"Okay."

"Don't move." He snapped his fingers, and in a split second, they were in the same position on the bed, Lydia's head resting on the soft pillow with Beetlejuice on top of her.

He shifted to her side, resting one of his legs over hers to keep it pinned in place and then lightly ran his hand over her hip and down her other thigh. Reaching for her calf, he gently lifted her leg and bent it at the knee so he could place her foot on the bed.

Lydia's breath was coming in shallow pants as Beetlejuice's hand leisurely journeyed its way along her bare thigh, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake, as he gathered the material of her black skirt and pulled it up. Was she ready for this? She wanted to be close to him – wanted him to touch her – but she was a little hesitant at the same time because no one had ever done it.

Lydia wondered if Beetlejuice noticed the apprehension in her eyes because he pressed his lips to hers gently, effectively distracting her from his hand. Gripping his shirt, she tried to focus on the languid stabs of his tongue in her mouth. When he slipped his hand between her thighs over the thin material of her underwear and cupped her womanhood, she groaned from low in her throat and dug her nails into his arm as he rubbed in delicate circles. The pressure was too much and forced her to tear her mouth from his with a wanton moan.

Lydia instinctively grabbed his wrist when Beetlejuice's fingers descended into her underwear. She was finding it hard to breathe.

"Should I stop – "

"No…I just…slow," she whispered, her chest heaving with her labored breaths.

"I've been tryin' to go slow.

"I know…you have been. I'm just…nervous, I guess."

Beetlejuice kissed her again, and when her hold on him lessened, his fingers returned to their initial path. When he touched the soft skin between her legs, she stiffened where she lay and pulled her mouth away from his again. His cool fingers contrasting with her heat made her hiss.

"Wait," Lydia pleaded, clutching a fistful of his shirt as his hand stilled. "Does it…will it hurt?"

Beetlejuice huffed. "How should I know?"

"Well…I mean…have any girls that you've done this to said that it hurt?"

After thinking for a moment, Beetlejuice shook his head. "Don't think so. They were too busy moanin'."

With a nod, Lydia whispered, "Um…okay."

Beetlejuice slid his hand between her legs, his middle finger pushing through her nether lips, until he reached her opening and dipped just the tip inside. He moved his hand back up her slit, circling her clit with the pad of his finger, and it caused Lydia to throw her head back against the pillow and close her eyes. When he gently flicked the sensitive pearl, she thought she might come apart.

" _Oh my God_ ," Lydia sighed, immediately widening her thighs for him, her hesitation from moments ago completely forgotten. " _Yes_." Her mouth hung open in a silent cry as Beetlejuice then eased that same finger inside of her fully. She had to force herself not to clench her muscles because that's what she started to do, anticipating pain, but she was relieved that there wasn't any. He slowly pulled his finger out and pushed it back in, over and over, until she was whimpering and clawing at his clothes. The sensation of something sliding along all of the sensitive nerve endings inside of her sealed the deal on her decision about having sex with him. If his finger felt this good, she couldn't wait to feel _him_ sliding in and out of her.

Lydia turned her head from side to side on the pillow. As her moans escalated in intensity, Beetlejuice moved his finger back to her clit, furiously rubbing it and trying to find a rhythm she liked. Her inner muscles were already clenching and tightening under his attentions, and so were her hands around the material of his shirt. The capability to form coherent thoughts was gone – Lydia was little more than a jumble of nerves and muscles responding to his touch. Biting her lip, she lay absolutely still as he brought her closer to the precipice, her muscles constricting more and more, and unaware that he was watching her intently.

As Lydia approached the edge, Beetlejuice noticed and leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "Fuck yeah...that's it, babe."

His voice, his touch, this new experience, it was all too much and converged like a tornado touching down between her legs. When the orgasmic contractions began, Lydia nearly vaulted off the bed, groaning and keening and making all other manner of unintelligible noises. Digging her nails into his forearm, she succumbed to the overwhelming tidal wave of pleasure that crashed into her over and over in a relentless barrage, completely oblivious to his simultaneous groans.

As the tremors began to subside, Lydia slowly quieted. Beetlejuice removed his hand from her clothing and rested it beside her hip on the bed. He leaned forward and kissed her softly, muffling her sighs as she caught her breath. When he lifted his head, she gazed into his eyes, and – just like the other night – the wonder that she saw in them made her smile. Reaching up, she touched his face, caressing the dark circle around one of his eyes. She was extremely relaxed – she felt like she was sinking deeper into the mattress – and all of her anxiousness from earlier had melted away.

"That was something," she teased, mimicking what he'd said previously.

Beetlejuice smirked and cocked his head to the side. "Not bad for a dead guy, huh?"

Lydia giggled. It was astounding how quickly he could bounce back and forth between his usually cocky self and his gentler, more sensitive side. "If that felt that good…"

"Told ya I'm the ghost with most, babe," he said proudly.

"Apparently. Um…weren't we supposed to be watching a movie?" she asked playfully.

He shrugged. "Guess you had other plans. Just couldn't resist my charms any longer."

Lydia feigned offense, but she was still smiling. "What? Me? This was all _your_ doing."

Beetlejuice snorted as he shifted beside her, their legs tangling together on the bed as they lay side by side. "You have a bad memory."

"Who was on top of whom on the couch? And who moved us to the bed?"

Adjusting his pillow, Beetlejuice shook his head but gave her a sly wink. "Not me."

Lydia laughed again as she curled up beside him and put her arm across his waist. It felt good to laugh. Everything else felt pretty good, too. Then it dawned on her that he hadn't come yet. "Wait…don't you want a turn, too? Like before?"

"No…I'm fine."

With a frown, Lydia asked, "Are you sure? You were awfully quick to – "

"I said I'm fine."

"But you – "

"Look – " Beetlejuice growled, grabbing her hand and placing it on his crotch that was oddly wet. "I already did, okay?"

Lydia was shocked as she withdrew her hand. "You…but I didn't…you didn't – "

Beetlejuice, clearly uncomfortable with the subject, stared at the ceiling. "It's been a while for me, all right?" he admitted with a heavy sigh. "And touchin' you and listenin' to you just…." But he didn't finish.

"So, it's a good thing?"

"Yeah."

"Then why do you look embarrassed?"

With a roll of his eyes, he answered, "Because most men aren't proud of poppin' off in their pants. That's the kind of stuff that happens when you're a kid."

"But it felt good."

"Well…yeah. Of course."

"Then I don't see a problem with it. And if touching me and listening to me has that effect on you, I think I rather like it."

Beetlejuice wasn't completely convinced, but he gave her a small smile. "You're weird."

"Didn't you tell me that the other night?"

* * *

 _ **Guys...I can't even begin to explain to you just how damn VEXING this chapter has been. I have gone over it probably 100 times...no exaggeration. A big huge thanks to Meagan because I begged her to read this and let me know if it made sense. So, PLEASE review this chapter if you don't review any of the others because I have literally spent HOURS...DAYS...WEEKS...on this chapter to make sure that it was good enough for YOU. :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

The next day after work, Lydia made a quick trip to the drugstore and then sprinted to the woods. She'd been doing a lot of thinking the last few days, and she'd had another lengthy talk with Barbara that morning, as well. Lydia didn't know what would happen in the future, but she did know that she wanted to be with Beetlejuice. As crazy as it seemed on one hand, it felt right on the other, and she couldn't ignore that. In fact, she couldn't imagine anyone else being her first but him. Barbara had reminded her that intercourse would complete their marriage, but that didn't sway Lydia. She knew what she wanted _._

"Are you here?" Lydia called out, a little breathless from her run.

"Of course," Beetlejuice answered, stepping out from his tree. She thought that she noticed a roguish twinkle in his eye that had not been there in their previous meetings, and it made her blush as she remembered that he now knew her intimately. And he would know her _more_ intimately if she had anything to say about it.

"Hotel now."

Beetlejuice's eyes grew big as his smirk faded. He must have thought that she was joking. She was not.

"Right now?"

"Right now."

The impish smirk quickly returned. "Yes, ma'am," Beetlejuice replied as he opened his arms for her.

* * *

Once inside, Lydia dropped her bag on the couch and then sat down on the side of the bed.

Beetlejuice sat beside of her and leaned in close, bracing himself with his hand on the mattress behind her. "So, what movie are we pretendin' to watch this time?" he whispered, his breath tickling her ear.

An involuntary shiver caused goose bumps to dance upon Lydia's skin as she slowly turned her head to look at him. Her inexperience had made her uncertain and shy previously, and she would have looked away from him a week ago after such a lustful question. Now, however, she held his gaze with confidence. It was the first time that she'd felt like a woman instead of naïve girl.

"I don't think we need a movie."

"No?" Beetlejuice's gaze fell to his other hand that was crawling up her inner thigh and under her short black skirt. "What do we need then?" He nuzzled her neck, just below her ear, and she sighed in anticipation of what was to come. For someone who could be so savage in his behaviors, his touch could be just as gentle. "More specifically, what do _you_ need?"

Lydia knew Beetlejuice was hoping to fluster her, but she was a step ahead of him. When his fingertips reached her warm sex and brushed across the soft hair there, she bit back a moan, but he withdrew his hand as if a sandworm had been under there.

" _Oh my God_ … _you're not wearing underwear?_ " Beetlejuice gasped as Lydia grinned. She knew he'd like that.

"Is that a problem?" Lydia teased, batting her eyelashes at him. She'd never tell him, but it had been Barbara's suggestion.

"Fuck no," Beetlejuice answered with a growl, easily pushing Lydia to her back and crawling on top of her as she shimmied up the bed so that her legs weren't hanging off the edge. "It's perfect. My girl knows what she wants."

Something soared in Lydia's heart when she heard his term of endearment, but she also knew him well enough to not assume it meant more than it did. Even still, being called his girl made her happy. No one had ever done that before. _He_ hadn't even done that before.

Their words quieted as their kisses kept their mouths otherwise occupied. With arms and legs entwined, Beetlejuice and Lydia forgot the world and gave in to the flesh, the pace of their passion building into a frenzy of lips tugging, hands exploring and hips pressing together.

Lydia felt as if she would burst as she squeezed her thighs tighter around Beetlejuice. He was hard between her legs and rubbing in the most perfect spot that was winding her up faster and faster. When his heated kisses descended to her neck, he began sucking the sensitive skin with fervor causing Lydia to be unable to contain herself any longer. She moaned and announced with a heavy sigh, " _Oh God….I'm ready_."

Beetlejuice stiffened, lifting his head up in alarm, eyes wide in surprise. "What?"

Lydia smiled, a little embarrassed at her admission. She was going to tell him and soon, but that wasn't how she'd imagined doing it. "I'm – uh – ready."

Beetlejuice blinked twice, his pale face remaining neutral as he stared at her underneath him. "Do you mean…for…"

"Yeah."

Once it fully dawned on Beetlejuice what Lydia was referring to, he grinned and lifted his head to emit a howl that rivaled any coyote. She hadn't seen him look that happy since she said his name three times years ago…maybe more so. He grabbed her and rolled them around on the bed making her laugh at his enthusiasm.

"I knew you'd give in to my ghostly charms."

With a roll of her eyes, Lydia replied, "Ha ha…very funny, loverboy. So, are we staying here to…you know…or…"

Beetlejuice thought out loud as they lay side by side. "We could go to…no, that's been underwater for a century. Maybe we could go…no, that got destroyed by a volcano eruption." His eyes enlarged then as he sat up. "Oh, I know! I have the perfect place for us!"

Lydia sat up beside of him, heart pounding in anticipation. "Where is it?"

"It's a surprise, babe. Get your stuff."

"It's not going to be somewhere gross, is it?

Beetlejuice huffed in offense as he climbed from the bed. "It's like you don't know me at all. Trust me; you'll love it."

After Lydia fetched her bag, Beetlejuice opened his arms, which she practically jumped into. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the ground – it was covered with what had once been beautiful mosaic tile; she could see remnant pieces mixed in with the dirt and grass that had grown up through it. Curious, she lifted her head to see four walls towering around them that were made of old, uneven stones. It reminded her of a castle.

The space was empty except for a bed against one wall and a fireplace with crackling flames on the other across from it. Lydia assumed both were courtesy of Beetlejuice since they looked completely out of place. Six standing candelabras – the only light in the space – circled the wrought iron bed that boasted intricate scrollwork on both the head and foot – Lydia thought it looked quite gothic with its vine and leaf design – and the comforter and sheets were blood red satin which contrasted beautifully with the black bed frame.

Lydia looked up then and saw stars twinkling in the black night sky. Apparently there was no ceiling which she found odd since there were walls. "Where are we?" she finally asked.

Beetlejuice smiled proudly and held his arms out to his side in presentation. "We are in the tower ruins of Vlad the Impaler's castle."

Lydia's jaw dropped in shock. She was not expecting _that._ "No way!"

"Yes way!"

"So we're in – "

"Romania, yeah."

"Wow." Lydia recalled some of the stories that she'd read about Vlad and then that led her to thinking about vampires and the supernatural which made her quickly realize that he _had_ chosen the perfect place for them. Vlad's history was dark and full of controversy, and – to be honest – so were they. "And you thought of the bed and candles and stuff?"

"Hey – I do know a little about romance, all right?" Beetlejuice snapped his fingers, and instantly, they were in different clothes. She wore a floor-length black nightgown with spaghetti straps and a lacy, see-through strip down the middle while he wore a black and white striped silk robe that reminded her of his suit.

Lydia looked down at her gown and smiled. "Thank you. It's very pretty. I didn't think of getting anything like this."

"I thought of makin' it white."

Lydia cocked her head to side and rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"

"Well, you _are_ a virgin. Aren't you supposed to wear white these days or somethin' like that?"

Lydia padded across a few moss-covered tiles in her bare feet to stand in front of Beetlejuice. "Not for long I'm not." With more confidence than she thought she possessed, she reached for one of his hands and pulled him towards the beautifully made bed. Usually, he was the aggressor, but she was feeling especially determined. She pushed him down to the mattress and climbed on top of him, the sheets cool to her skin.

Straddling Beetlejuice, their bodies easily sliding together from the silky material between them and under them, Lydia leaned down to kiss him. She'd never been more certain about anything in her life, and – surprisingly – she wasn't nervous; just excited.

Before her mouth reached his, however, Beetlejuice grabbed her shoulders to stop her.

"Lydia," he whispered, his voice sounding pained. "Wait."

"I brought condoms – should I get them now?" She wasn't exactly sure when he was supposed to put one on.

"No, I – " The look of uncertainty clouding his eyes confused her.

When Beetlejuice didn't continue, Lydia frowned and sat up, resting her hands on his abdomen. A funny feeling was growing in the pit of her stomach, and she wondered if she'd somehow messed up. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked timidly.

"No, I – "

"Have you changed your mind?" Lydia's mind was racing with insecurities. She didn't understand his hesitation.

Beetlejuice shook his head. "No, but I'm shocked that you haven't."

Lydia frowned. "What? Why?"

Gently pushing her to his side, Beetlejuice sat up and shook his head, clearly uncomfortable. "Look…I'm not good at this sort of thing…but, um…well…you know that I'm not hangin' around, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"The whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing ain't really my scene, you know? I mean, I'm not plannin' on stayin' here after we do this," Beetlejuice explained with a shrug.

"If it makes you feel any better, I hadn't planned on us dating or getting a house or anything," Lydia told him, sarcasm in her tone.

Beetlejuice's expression was one of confusion. "You hadn't?"

"No. Just because I haven't done this before doesn't mean I'm completely naïve," Lydia said, not understanding where his concern was coming from. She'd never said anything about wanting him to stay. "I know what you are. I also know what this is…and what it isn't."

"And you still wanna do it?"

"Don't you?"

"Well, of course _I_ do."

As the shadows from the flickering candles danced all around them, Lydia suddenly understood what he was doing. "You're trying to dissuade me." It wasn't a question.

Beetlejuice shrugged again and looked away, and that told Lydia all she needed to know. "I know how I am, okay?"

It was the first time that the real Beetlejuice – the one that stayed hidden behind all of the scare tactics and outlandish behavior – had shown himself to Lydia. She understood it to be his way of saying that he cared about her. And while she appreciated his concern – though it was unexpected since he was the one who had started all this to begin with – she didn't need it. She still knew what she wanted – she hadn't changed her mind – and she understood the nature of their friendship, for lack of a better term. Hoping to encourage him, she gently pushed him down to the mattress again and climbed on top of him like she had a couple minutes ago.

"And I know what I want," Lydia assured Beetlejuice before pressing her mouth to his. She wasn't interested in making out or any extended foreplay. She wasn't interested in trying to figure out what they were or weren't. She just wanted _him_. Now. His hesitation showed that he could be considerate and caring, and it only served to fuel her desire.

Beetlejuice acquiesced easily and wrapped his arms around Lydia, his hands gliding over the dips and curves of her body, until he emitted a hungry growl and flipped her over, making her squeal and laugh when her back hit the mattress. She was relieved that he was apparently over his worry of what she thought about their future.

* * *

It wasn't long before Beetlejuice had Lydia's nightgown bunched around her waist with his mouth on one of her breasts and a finger inside her. Her body burned with need as he quickly brought her to the edge, and for once, she didn't hold herself back. She gripped the back of his head with one hand and clutched the satin sheets with the other as his mouth and finger did wonderfully wicked things to her.

When Beetlejuice began kissing a trail down her stomach, Lydia thought nothing of it; coherent thoughts were difficult, anyway. But as his mouth neared her sex, her eyes flew open as she raised to her elbows.

"What are you doing?" Lydia asked breathlessly.

Beetlejuice's movements stilled. His gaze lifted to hers, and it was oddly serious. "Do you trust me?"

Lydia swallowed. "Not always," she answered truthfully, her heart banging away inside her chest.

"Do you trust me right now?"

Lydia bit her lip as she thought. She supposed she did or she wouldn't have agreed to have sex with him. "Yes."

With no further word, Beetlejuice removed his finger from inside her, dipped his head and licked one long stripe between her legs. Lydia's jaw dropped in silent awe as she fell back to the bed and squeezed her eyes shut. Her world turned upside down as he continued to work his tongue over the most sensitive part of her body, and when he flicked her clit, she cried out and squeezed her thighs together around his head.

Somewhere in the back of Lydia's mind, she realized that probably wasn't helpful to Beetlejuice as he grabbed the back of her thighs and pushed them to her chest, opening her up for him. She fisted the sheets under her as he suckled her clit, and she felt as if she was floating above the bed or in another dimension.

Moans were tumbling from Lydia's lips as she moved her hips to find a rhythm that worked. Beetlejuice released her legs so that she could put her feet back on the bed, but then he used his hands to push her soft nether lips apart and concentrated on her clit again. She froze where she lay, too overwhelmed to do anything.

" _Oh God_ ," Lydia whimpered, her hands hurting from clenching the sheets as she turned her head from side to side on the pillow. She wasn't sure if it was where they were or that he hadn't ever used his mouth on her before or the fact that she knew they were going all the way, but when her orgasm exploded inside of her like fireworks on the fourth of July, it felt more intense than it ever had, and her cries of pleasure echoed off of the stone walls around them and ascended up to the heavens through the tower opening above them. Beetlejuice continued his attentions until her exclamations quieted and hips ceased their jerky movements.

Lydia was a trembling mess when she finally opened her eyes and stretched her legs out on the bed while Beetlejuice held himself above her on his hands and knees.

"So you liked that, huh?"

Lydia grinned and giggled. "You couldn't tell? That felt wonderful. I feel like jello now."

Beetlejuice leaned down to kiss her, and she could taste herself on his lips; she wasn't sure what she thought about it. "Where are your condom thingies?"

"In the bag over there," Lydia answered, pointing. She'd forgotten all about them to be honest. Her brain was kind of fuzzy.

Beetlejuice jumped up from the bed and all but ran to get the box. Returning to the bed, he shrugged out of his robe, ripped the box open, tore apart one of the small foil packets and rolled on the condom while Lydia watched in fascination as she quickly shimmied out of her nightgown.

"You're ready, I'm ready – it's show time!" Beetlejuice exclaimed, crawling on top of her, her legs cocooning around him.

Lydia giggled. "You are quite the performer," she teased.

"I try, babe."

With a pounding heart, Lydia dug her nails into his lower back as he began to push inside her. She had nothing to compare him to as far as his size, but as he slowly inched his way into her tight channel, she felt very full. Almost uncomfortably full. Barbara had been right.

" _Oh_ …," Lydia breathed, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to relax her muscles as they naturally clenched around him. There wasn't any piercing pain, thankfully, but there was a tremendous pressure, and she fought the instinct to push him out.

" _Fuck_ ," Beetlejuice whispered, stilling his hips once he was all the way in. "So wet. _Damn_ , it's been a long time. You okay?"

Lydia opened her eyes and met Beetlejuice's questioning gaze. Something that she couldn't name gripped her heart as she realized that – at that moment – they were one. They were two eccentric puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly in some crazy sort of way as they bridged different worlds. Maybe no one else understood it, but they didn't matter, anyway.

"Yeah," Lydia answered breathlessly. "I'm okay."

That was all Beetlejuice needed to hear as he began thrusting in and out, and it was all Lydia could do to hold on. His ardency added to her excitement, and she pulled him closer; she wanted to feel every inch of him against her. There had been just a little pain initially, but now she was overwhelmed by the sensation of his cock pistoning into her wet passage repeatedly.

Lydia quickly discovered that Beetlejuice liked changing positions often. Her legs were around him first, but then he pushed her knees to her chest. Then she was on her side. She cried out when she got on her hands and knees; he was thrusting so hard, she felt like she was going to crash into the bed frame. She was on the Beetlejuice ride, and it certainly had a lot of twists and turns. Everything he did felt amazing, though, so she had no problem letting him direct their movements. She was a better passenger, anyway, since this was her first time at everything.

When Beetlejuice rolled to his back and pulled her on top of him, Lydia was pleased to learn that she could control their movements that way. Not that all of his movements hadn't made her eyes roll back into her head, but she enjoyed having some control for a change.

"Mmm…is this right?" Lydia asked, experimenting with her hips as she rolled them around to discover what was best for her, sweat trickling down her temple.

"Oh yeah," Beetlejuice grunted, digging his fingers into the tops of her thighs. "Just…move however feels good."

So Lydia did. She tried a few ways until she settled on a rhythm where she could rub her clit, as well. Both of them were grunting and groaning as the sound of their wet skin slapping together reverberated off the walls.

"Keep goin'," Beetlejuice panted, thrusting his hips up in time with Lydia's as he squeezed his eyes shut. " _Don't stop_."

Forgetting about any self-consciousness she might have had, Lydia rode Beetlejuice, her breasts bouncing as she impaled herself on him, over and over. When her release came, it was different than it had been previously, but it was pleasurable nonetheless. She cried out and clawed at his chest, slamming her hips to his in erratic movements. Before her orgasm could fade, Beetlejuice grabbed her shoulders, pulled her down to him and crashed his mouth to hers as he came, whimpering her name into their kiss and holding her tight.

* * *

Slowly, Lydia became aware of her surroundings as if she'd been in a fog. She rolled to Beetlejuice's side after peeling her hot, wet body off of his so that he could dispose of the condom and lazily watched the shadows from the candles still flickering against the stone walls. They lay in a tangled mess of sweaty flesh upon damp sheets, still panting from their vigorous union. Before they had even five minutes to recover and catch their breath, however, both of them sat up in alarm and cried out when they felt a sharp stinging sensation at the base of their left ring fingers.

"He-ey!" Beetlejuice exclaimed, staring at his hand.

"Owww! What's happening?" Lydia asked, cradling her hand to her chest. It hurt worse than the sex had.

"It's…it's a band." There was shock and confusion in his voice as Beetlejuice flipped his hand back and forth to look at it. "What the hell?"

Lydia held up her hand up in the candlelight to see it. "It's a wedding band!" she exclaimed, the base of her finger burning and tingling. No one told her this would happen. She rubbed it, but it didn't come off or smudge or anything.

Beetlejuice and Lydia looked at each other with wide eyes, the intimate and playful energy around them disappearing like a popped balloon. They'd gotten so caught up in their sexual needs and attraction to each other that they'd temporarily forgotten that being together would mean completing their marriage. Perhaps somewhere way back in their minds, they didn't think it would actually happen…like the contract had been a sort of bluff or something. But it wasn't. It was – apparently – very real. She didn't know about him, but somehow she felt different, though she told herself that it was probably just all in her head. The fact that she was now _married_ to the man – the ghost – beside of her loomed large. It cooled her internal fires instantly.

"Well…I guess our marriage is complete now," Lydia remarked, offering him an uncertain smile. She wasn't really sure what to say. She'd had such a good time with him the last few days, she hadn't stopped to consider what would happen once they did have sex. Correction – she knew it would make them supposedly wed, but she hadn't thought past that; she didn't think about how that would _feel_.

Beetlejuice suddenly looked apologetic as he glanced at their hands. "Yeah…uh…I didn't know this would happen, though…these tattoo things. It makes it seem kind of…permanent…don't it?"

Lydia, suddenly feeling too exposed as she sat beside of him naked, pulled the sheet up to cover herself and sat back against the pillows. She had no idea of what to do. He looked about as bewildered as she felt, and the tone in his voice sounded more regretful than she would have liked to have heard. "At least you're free now."

Pulling the sheet up to his waist, Beetlejuice leaned back beside of her and nodded, giving her a quick glance. "Yeah. I guess so."

As Lydia folded her arms across her chest, she had to admit that she was fairly confused. She figured he'd be jumping for joy having finally acquired the freedom that he'd wanted so desperately. "Where are you going first?"

"I don't know," Beetlejuice answered, looking at her with an indiscernible expression. "I – uh – I never thought it would happen."

Lydia wanted to move nearer to him, but it didn't feel right. As close as they'd been, it was as if a wall was now between them. Even though they'd sort of cuddled the last couple times they'd been together, she wasn't sure that she should reach for him now. She wasn't used to awkwardness being present around him.

"I guess you can file for an annulment now," Beetlejuice told her with a shrug. "Pretty sure the finger tattoos will disappear then."

"Yeah," Lydia agreed, looking down at her hand again. "They probably will." She sounded sad, and she wondered where that came from. She should be thrilled that there were annulment papers, after all, a month ago she'd said that there was no way she'd do _anything_ with him.

Beetlejuice and Lydia were quiet for a few minutes as they sat in – what had become – their marriage bed with the candlelight still dancing all around them. Before, it had added romance to their coupling, but now it seemed more like the jumping shadows were mocking them…jeering at them. Neither one looked at the other until Beetlejuice finally took a deep breath and said, "I guess I oughta get goin'. I'm sure there's some hell I need to be raisin' somewhere."

There wasn't much conviction in his voice, but Lydia nodded. "Well, sure. You've gotta go." What could she do…disagree? Ask him to stay? The deal was done. They'd both gotten what they wanted.

They climbed from the bed and quickly dressed, keeping their backs to each other. Lydia gathered her things – she kept her gown and even picked up a little piece of the tile floor to keep – and then walked over to Beetlejuice. Not looking at him, she put her arms around his waist loosely and waited for the familiar sensation that had brought her happiness before.

* * *

Seconds later, as they stood near the tree that they'd been meeting at for almost a month, Beetlejuice put his hands in his pockets while Lydia crossed her arms. A strained silence surrounded them which was odd in and of itself because they hadn't really had any of those. Lydia had quite a lot to say, but none of it came out. Given their strange and unusual circumstances, it didn't seem like the right time, and she didn't know if there ever would be a right time, sadly. Her throat began to burn, and she bit her lip in the hopes of pushing away the building emotion. She told herself that she would not cry.

"I'll – uh – see ya 'round, babe."

Lydia forced a smile, but her traitorous eyes were filling with tears that she hoped he didn't notice. "Yeah…see ya." Her voice was shaky, and she bit her lip in a futile attempt to subdue her sadness.

The lingering stare of Beetlejuice seemed to conceal a question, but he never asked it. Instead, he stepped closer, reached for Lydia's left hand and kissed her ring finger, right on the band, which was still a little tender. With one last look, Beetlejuice turned and slowly walked away, disappearing into the tree as he usually did – only this time was the last time.

* * *

With bewildering tears streaming down her cheeks, Lydia ran home, oblivious to her sore thighs. Barbara had been waiting in her bedroom reading when she arrived.

"Lydia," Barbara gasped, tossing her book aside and hugging her quickly. "Did he hurt you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Lydia cried, grabbing tissues from her night stand and wiping her eyes and nose. "I'm just…I don't know what I am."

They sat down on the edge of Lydia's bed.

"So you…you were with him?"

Lydia nodded. "Yeah. He didn't hurt me, though. We had a good time."

"Well, don't worry, we'll start the annulment process tomorrow," Barbara assured her, assuming that that's what she was upset about.

Lydia held up her left hand to look at the band tattoo on her finger and shook her head. "That's not really bothering me, to be honest. I'll probably never see him again, and I…I think I might miss him."

"Really?"

Lydia nodded, the burn returning in her throat signaling another round of tears coming. "I know it makes me sound crazy, but I enjoyed being with him. He's been so different. It's hard to explain."

"Do you want to talk about tonight?"

Lydia shook her head. "Not yet. I think I'll just go to bed. Thanks for being here to check on me."

"Okay, honey. Let me know if you need anything. Um – " Barbara hesitated. "A hot bath might help if you're…you know…a little sore."

Lydia forced a small smile and nodded. "I am a bit. I'll try that."

When Barbara closed the door behind her, Lydia stared at her finger again. The band was black, and when she flipped her hand over, she noticed initials on the bottom of it. PJM. She assumed they were his initials from when he was human.

Lydia shifted her hips where she sat and was instantly reminded of her actions from earlier, wincing from the pain between her legs. And that's when the next round of tears came that seemed to last until morning.

* * *

 ** _Reviews always appreciated! A big plate of cookies to anyone who recognizes the famous line from a famous movie that I used in this chapter. ;)_**


	7. Chapter 7

Days stretched into weeks for Lydia after Beetlejuice left. Weeks dragged on into long, tedious months. The lush, green trees of summer slowly morphed into the brightly colored trees of fall that had once brought her happiness with their beauty. As the days grew chilly, Lydia observed more and more leaves falling each week – along with her hope of ever seeing Beetlejuice again - until every tree was as bare and empty as she felt on the inside.

* * *

Thanksgiving came and went, but Lydia was hardly aware of it. She spent half the day near the tree where she used to meet Beetlejuice. A tiny part of her hoped that he might appear, but a larger part of her knew that he wouldn't. Still she waited.

* * *

Christmas arrived with a snowstorm, and even though everyone begged Lydia not to, she trudged through the two feet of snow that had fallen to return to her special tree just to see if Beetlejuice would show. She could only tolerate an hour or so of the icy winds chilling her body before she was forced to go back home, though. Her heart was heavy, and she wished like hell that it wasn't. Even before being with him, she'd told herself a thousand times that it would mean nothing. _They_ were nothing to each other, nor would they ever be. She knew this with her head – she didn't understand why she couldn't get her heart to follow.

* * *

After the new year, Adam and Barbara tried to get Lydia to sign the annulment papers again. They'd been trying since the morning after she'd been with Beetlejuice, but she never signed them. It just didn't feel right though she wasn't sure why. The ghost couple tried the next day and the next, but Lydia always refused with no explanation as to why. She supposed she just wasn't ready to erase him from her life.

When Charles and Delia finally asked Lydia if she was all right, she told them that she'd broken up with the guy that she'd been seeing and left it at that. She figured it was the easiest explanation all around. Her father placated her with the expected reply that someone better would come along, and Delia had brought up college again, but Lydia didn't particularly want to hear either sentiment.

Hiding the tattoo had been an issue from the beginning. At first, Lydia wore her fingerless black gloves, but she couldn't wear them twenty-four/seven, so she eventually bought a ring wide enough to cover it.

"Lydia, that looks like a wedding ring," Delia had told her when she noticed it. "You shouldn't wear it on that finger."

"It was one of Barbara's mother's rings," Lydia lied, subconsciously scissoring her left ring finger and middle finger against each other to feel the metal band. "That's the only finger that it fits on."

"Well, have it resized or something. Men will think that you're married."

The fact was that Lydia _was_ married now. Married to a ghost bio-exorcist that was off doing who knew what who knew where, but married nonetheless. And as much as she was loathe to admit it, she truly missed Beetlejuice.

Lydia continued working with Mr. Sheppard and tried to focus on her photography, but _her husband_ was always in her thoughts. She wondered if he missed her kisses…if he missed his attempts get her attention…if he ever thought about her…if he thought about their intimate moments. At first, she'd assumed that if he _had_ missed her, he would have come back to see her, even for just one night. With every passing month, however, Lydia was left with the devastating truth that he didn't. And it cut her deeply.

It still wasn't enough to make Lydia file the annulment papers, though.

* * *

There was a knock on Lydia's bedroom door.

"It's me," she heard Barbara say.

"Come on in."

Barbara walked in and closed the door behind her. "Happy birthday," she said with a smile, holding out a gift bag.

As the lady ghost sat down on the bed beside of her, Lydia opened her gift. "Black and white film! Wait…how did you get it?"

"I asked Delia to pick it up for me. I knew you were out."

Lydia leaned over and hugged her friend. "Thank you so much." She'd been out for a number of weeks, and while she could have easily grabbed it from the store that she worked at, she had no motivation for doing so. In fact, she hadn't taken a picture of anything in over six months.

"I waited for you to come upstairs to give it to you, but you never did."

Lydia felt a bit guilty and looked down. It was almost three in the afternoon, and she hadn't left her room yet. She knew there was a cake and presents for her, but she wasn't particularly interested. She really only wanted one thing.

"Yeah…I just haven't felt like doing much today."

Barbara picked up Lydia's left hand to look at the tattoo; Lydia always took her ring off when she was alone in her room. "You really miss him, don't you?"

After a deep sigh, Lydia nodded. "Yeah. It's stupid, isn't it?"

"No, it's not stupid. Our feelings are never stupid." Barbara let go of Lydia's hand. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you love him?"

Lydia laughed and glanced up at the ceiling, but the question wasn't funny. "That's the thing; I don't know. How could I? He's… _how_ he is… _what_ he is….and I'm just this insignificant little human that – "

"You are _not_ insignificant," Barbara gently scolded.

"I've always been the outcast," Lydia said with a shrug, looking across the room. "I've always been the weird one…the one that everyone avoided…or whispered about. I haven't really had friends like other people have. Don't get me wrong – I like being me – but when I was with him, there was this…this complete acceptance that I've never experienced before. I didn't have to watch what I said or how I acted…I could truly be me. And being with him…I've been attracted to guys before, but he made me feel…I don't know how to describe it. I lost all sense of reason around him. I just wanted to be in his arms. He awakened something inside me that I didn't know even existed." Lydia shook her head. "I'm not sure anyone else will ever be able to do that. I'm not even sure I want them to."

They sat quietly for a couple minutes as Barbara rubbed Lydia's back. The young lady knew the ghost wasn't sure how to respond, but she appreciated her just taking the time to listen.

"Have you considered college? An art college…not regular college."

"Delia's mentioned it numerous times."

"As much as I don't want you to leave, I think it may be what you need. You know…get away from here…away from the memories…just for a while."

Lydia shrugged again. "I don't know. I'm not very motivated right now."

"You might be once you're there, though; especially an art college where everyone has exceptional talent like you do. Perhaps you'll find a kindred spirit there."

Lydia smirked at Barbara. "You mean a guy who'll make me forget all about him," she corrected.

Barbara smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Maybe. Honey, I just want you to be happy. And you're not. I feel helpless."

"Talking helps."

"So do cake and presents," Barbara told her with a wink. "Let's go celebrate just a little, okay? You're worth it."

Barbara always did know what to say to Lydia to help her feel better. "All right. Let me get my ring first."

* * *

Lydia was sitting by the river after work as she often did. Spring was finally upon them again and brought with it warm, sunny days and brightly colored flowers in bloom everywhere. She'd been considering college lately, much to everyone's delight, and she'd started researching art schools as they did seem like the best fit for her. She needed to do _something_. She was stuck in a rut, and college seemed like the only choice. Leaving Winter River wasn't what she really wanted, but maybe getting away temporarily would be a good thing. She could always come back…maybe open her own shop or something.

The sound of twigs snapping behind Lydia startled her. She turned around, ready to tell whoever it was to get lost, but then her mouth dropped in shock. Her entire world came skidding to a halt.

"Beetlejuice!" Lydia jumped up and rushed over to him, hugging him tightly. She was thrilled when he held her just as close, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Her heart was racing, and happy tears filled her eyes. "Oh my God…I thought I'd never see you again! What are you doing here?"

Beetlejuice looked _good_. He wore his black and white striped suit that Lydia loved, and she noticed that it looked relatively new. His hair was still crazy, but it looked clean and combed…or as best he could comb it, anyway. She didn't see as many lichen on him, either. And had he lost some weight? She licked her lips as she stared at him. Instantly, the inferno that he'd once lit inside her was ablaze again.

"Well, babe, I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop in," Beetlejuice answered, stepping closer and causing Lydia's heart to skip a beat or four. "Maybe we could – uh – go somewhere other than here to chat for a bit?"

If the heat in Beetlejuice's crazy, beautiful eyes was any indication, he wanted the same thing that Lydia did, or at least she hoped. She watched as his gaze dropped down her body and then lifted back up to her eyes, and she didn't miss the extra twinkle in his stare. She wanted him. _Now._

"You want to chat."

Beetlejuice closed the distance between them, boldly slipping his arms around Lydia's waist. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I have a lot of _private things_ to say."

Lifting her arms to rest her hands behind Beetlejuice's neck, Lydia gave him a predatory grin. She knew that he wouldn't stay, but she was the happiest that she'd been in nearly a year since he left.

"There _is_ the hotel."

* * *

Lydia's back hit the wall near the bed in the hotel room just a few seconds after Beetlejuice transported them there. He pressed her against it, nipping and sucking at her neck while one hand squeezed her breasts and the other cupped her backside.

"I thought about you," Lydia whispered, wrapping her legs around Beetlejuice when he picked her up, rubbing his already hard cock between her legs. "I wondered if you'd come back."

"Wasn't sure if I should," Beetlejuice admitted, kissing a trail up Lydia's neck and then along her jaw, his fingertips pressing into the backs of her thighs. "Wasn't sure if ya wanted me to. Then when the band didn't disappear – "

"You thought I'd gone mad," Lydia finished, giving him a smirk.

Beetlejuice grinned & nodded. "Somethin' like that, yeah. So I kept waitin', thinkin' it would be gone at any moment, but it never was."

Lydia whimpered when Beetlejuice crashed his mouth to hers in a demanding kiss. It was deep and possessive and caused her to pull him closer in an effort to relieve the fire burning out of control in her loins, her ankles crossed and digging into his back.

"I don't want to get rid of it," she confessed, breathless from Beetlejuice's attentions. "Call me crazy, but I want to keep it."

Beetlejuice moved them from the door, took a couple steps towards the bed and then dropped Lydia onto it. They both frantically shed clothing, not caring where the pieces ended up. Once they were finally naked, he held her close again, the chill of his skin against the heat of hers soothing.

"Call me crazy, but I want to keep it, too," Beetlejuice whispered, aligning his hips with hers as she hooked her legs around him. "Um…do you have one of those condom things?"

"No," Lydia answered, reaching down to help guide him in. "I don't care this time. I want to feel you. All of you."

With a growl, Beetlejuice buried himself inside Lydia and let go as he hadn't done before. There was no tenderness – no 'lovemaking'- in their union. It was raw, desperate need at a furious pace. As he slammed into her over and over, eliciting groans and grunts from her nearly every time, all she could do was hold on. She hadn't been with anyone but him, and that had been nearly a year ago, so she was a little tender, but it only took a couple minutes until he made her see stars. When she cried out his name, Beetlejuice grabbed her hands, pressed them to the bed above her head and chased his orgasm, finding it seconds later. Lydia was in heaven as a string of obscenities spewed from his lips, including her name which made her smile.

Beetlejuice held Lydia tight, their chests heaving from their brief but fervid coitus. She was burning up, and her skin was slick with sweat, but she didn't let go until he did.

"So, was that what you came back for?"

"No, but it is a damn good reason to, ain't it?"

"I think so," Lydia answered with a giggle as Beetlejuice shifted to her side keeping his arm around her so she could rest her head on his chest. Unlike their first time, there was no awkwardness; she was quite comfortable by his side, draping her arm over his lichen-spotted abdomen. "I'm glad you're here. I kind of missed you, you know."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Is that crazy?"

"No crazier than me missing you, I suppose."

Lydia turned her head to look up at Beetlejuice. "You missed me?"

Beetlejuice shrugged. "Yeah…you know…a little."

Lydia's heart soared with joy when she saw his teasing wink and gave him an affectionate squeeze in return. "I'm glad."

"I was kinda curious why you didn't file the annulment, though."

"Oh…were you waiting for me to do that?"

"I figured you'd do it the next day."

"No…I don't know…it didn't feel right."

"Honestly, babe…I was confused as hell."

Lydia lifted her left hand to look at the ring tattoo around her finger. "It kind of confused me, too, to be honest."

Beetlejuice shifted to his side so that he could see Lydia. "So, you really _want_ to be married to me?"

Lydia propped her head up with her hand as she adjusted the sheet over her body. "Well, not in the traditional sense, I suppose, but I meant what I said a few minutes ago. And nothing about us is traditional, anyway."

"That's true. But what happens when you meet someone? I mean, you're young and beautiful and….well…human. Lots of guys will want you."

Lydia shrugged. "Well…I'll deal with that if it happens, I guess. I'm not exactly looking."

Beetlejuice's gaze fell to the mattress as he drew a random pattern on the sheet with the tip of his left index finger. "Um…you know monogamy ain't really my style," he admitted, voice quiet.

Lydia understood what he was saying; she thought about that, too. She'd never expected any type of commitment from him, though. "I know. It might not be mine, either."

The shock on Beetlejuice's face made Lydia grin. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Really." Lydia thought this was as good a time as any to discuss the last time they'd seen each other. "By the way, I'm sorry if I made our last meeting – or our last departure – awkward. I didn't mean to."

With a shake of his head, Beetlejuice replied, "That was my fault. I never thought that that contract would be enforced and certainly not with these." He held up his left hand that sported the same band as Lydia's. "We had a fun night. I didn't mean to ruin it. I just…I didn't know what to do."

Lydia scooted over and pulled Beetlejuice on top of her, their legs entwining under the sheet. "I didn't, either. We were both confused."

"Shocked is more like it," Beetlejuice muttered, sliding his arms under Lydia's back to hold her close.

"Yeah…shocked is accurate," Lydia agreed, arms encircling his neck. "So now what _husband_?"

"Hmm. I dunno. Never had a _wife_ before. Aren't we supposed to have a honeymoon or something?"

"I do believe so. And you've been gone nearly a year, so we have a lot of honeymooning to make up for."

Beetlejuice leaned down to nibble on Lydia's neck as he rubbed himself between her thighs, quickly growing erect again. "Oh, I like the sound of that. Perhaps being married ain't so bad after all."

Wanting to savor their union this time, Lydia decided that she should control the pace. She pushed Beetlejuice to his back, reached down to help guide him in and playfully exclaimed, "It's showtime!"

When Lydia sunk down onto Beetlejuice, they both cried out in pleasure He reached up to grab her breasts and gently pinch her nipples as she rode him, giving in to months of longing. She wasn't sure what their future would bring, but they were married – and would remain so – and that was all she needed to know.

* * *

 ** _So no one caught the famous line from the famous movie last chapter? It was "Well sure. You've gotta go."... from Dirty Dancing - my favorite movie of all time._**

 ** _There will be an epilogue. Thanks to all for reading and reviewing!_**


	8. Chapter 8

As Lydia lay in bed, weak and frail with her grey hair splayed out upon the pillow, she slowly lifted her left hand so that she could see it and smiled.

The tattoo that had formed on Lydia's ring finger so many years ago was still there, and it looked just like it did the night that she'd received it. Throughout her life, she never regretted remaining married to Beetlejuice. They'd celebrated their seventieth wedding anniversary just three years ago and were just as happy as they'd ever been.

Both Lydia and Beetlejuice had decided early on that an open marriage would be the best option for their unique situation. It had been a little rocky at the start – both of them discovered they were more jealous than they thought they'd be – but after some lengthy discussions (and a couple of heated arguments), they successfully worked out the kinks. Their shared moments together in her younger years had been fun, spontaneous and passionate. The last thirty years had found their moments together still fun but decidedly less spontaneous and passionate. Regardless of what they were doing or where they were, though, they always enjoyed being together.

Lydia attended UCLA in her twenties and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts. She'd considered schools in New York, but she quickly decided that if she was going to leave home, she was going to go as far away as possible, so she chose California. She'd rented a small apartment because she had little interest in dorm life, plus she didn't want to have to explain Beetlejuice. She made a few acquaintances while there, but she was all too eager to return home when it was time.

In her thirties, Lydia bought Mr. Sheppard's shop when he retired and turned it into an art studio. Even though she'd dabbled in many different kinds of art in school, she returned to her love of macabre. Beetlejuice encouraged her to focus on cemeteries and the still-life photography (or 'dead life' as he always called it) with skeletons and such that she'd initially showed him, so that's what she did. She named her business _The Netherworld Shoppe_. She even included some of Delia's creations.

At first, people thought Lydia's work was too dark, but then a critic from New York visited and loved it. He bought ten of her pieces and took them back, hanging them in prominent galleries in the big city. Every year, he returned and bought ten more. Eventually Lydia had to create a website and hire a couple employees to help her ship orders to keep up with demand. Beetlejuice would visit a couple times a year and whisk her away to a new location for new photos and more 'dead life' creations.

While Lydia could have bought her own home with the money that she made from her art, she didn't want to be too far away from the Maitlands. Instead, she built on to her parents' house. She had a private family room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom but still spent most of her time in the main house.

Lydia finally broke down on her forty-fifth birthday and confessed to her parents that she was married to Beetlejuice and had been for over twenty years. She'd listened to them talk about grandchildren for the last ten years, so she felt it was time that they knew. They were surprised, but not as much as Lydia had expected. Their main concern was her happiness, and she assured them that she was.

Delia passed away from a stroke when Lydia was fifty-eight, and she lost her father from a heart attack six years later. Beetlejuice took Lydia away to Russia near the Kaluga Region for the Archstoyanie Land Art Festival in an effort to lessen her grief before disappearing with her to a remote cabin in Slovenia for a couple months.

Beetlejuice was, surprisingly, a good husband. He forgot Lydia's birthday occasionally, and every now and then they fought over stupid things, but when she really needed him, he was there. After her parents had passed, he spent more time at the house. Since he'd decided that he liked being more of a poltergeist than a bio-exorcist, it made being around Barbara and Adam much easier. For many years, Lydia opened up her home for Halloween as a 'haunted house' (people came from miles away just to experience it), and the three ghosts thoroughly enjoyed scaring everyone, quickly learning that they actually had fun together.

 _The Netherworld Shoppe_ flourished over the years, and Lydia managed it until her early seventies when she stepped down and allowed her staff to run it. Nova, the granddaughter of one of her first employees, was like a daughter to Lydia and had been the manager for a number of years. Lydia visited the studio occasionally, but she was content to remain at home most of the time.

"Lydia, honey, can we get you anything?" Barbara asked, sitting on the edge of the bed while Adam sat in a chair near the door. Her friends had been a big help in recent years as her had health declined. Nova was not only successful at running the business, but she had also become Lydia's caregiver for those tasks that the Maitlands were unable to do like market and take her to doctor appointments. Nova reminded her of when she'd been that age, and she cared about the young lady immensely. She knew her studio would be in good hands.

Lydia licked her dry lips and nodded once where she lay. "I'm tired," she said, her voice not much louder than a whisper. "Call him."

Barbara nodded. "All right." And then the lady ghost said Beetlejuice's name three times. It no longer bound him but summoned him to Lydia instead.

A few seconds later, the previous bio-exorcist appeared in the doorway. Beetlejuice knew the end was near, so he walked around to the other side of the bed and crawled in beside of her.

"Is it time, babe?" he asked, gently gathering his wife in his arms.

Lydia nodded as she gazed at her husband through weak, half-lidded eyes. "Soon."

* * *

A few hours later when Lydia passed away, Barbara, Adam and Beetlejuice were right by her side. When her spirit sat up in bed, Beetlejuice reached for her hand.

"Welcome to our side," he greeted as they all took turns hugging her.

Lydia looked down at herself and frowned. "I'm still old," she commented in disappointment.

"I'm guessin' you'd prefer to be younger," Beetlejuice remarked.

"Of course. Can you?"

"Babe…it's like you don't know me at all." Beetlejuice snapped his fingers, and within seconds, she was college age again. "How's that?"

With a big grin, Lydia hugged him. "It's perfect – thank you!"

"So where are you off to?" Adam asked.

"I've been sneakin' around this old plantation home outside of New Orleans," Beetlejuice answered. "Huge place. They run tours and everything, so there are always new people to scare."

"That sounds fun," Lydia remarked, looking at the Maitlands. "Are you guys coming? You're not stuck here anymore." A few years ago, Adam and Barbara had made another trip to the Nether World to meet with Juno and ask her about relocating early. She agreed to do it once for the simple reason that Beetlejuice was not causing her problems anymore, so the couple decided to wait until Lydia passed so all of them could move together.

Barbara and Adam looked at each other.

"We have been here a long time," he answered with a shrug.

"But we're ready to move on with you, so yes!" Barbara finished excitedly, reaching for Adam's hand.

Lydia squealed in happiness. Her human life had been amazing, but now she couldn't wait for her ghost life to start. "Great! Let's go to New Orleans then!"

Beetlejuice grinned as they all held hands so that he could relocate them.

"Everyone ready? It's show time!"

* * *

 _ **Hope everyone has enjoyed this story - it's been fun to write! I just love these two together!  
**_


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